Source: US Agency for International Development
Country: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Gambia (the), Mali, Mauritania, Niger (the), Senegal, United States of America (the)
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
- Late 2012 crop assessments in West Africa indicated that cereal production had risen by 13 percent compared to the 2011/2012 harvests and by 18 percent relative to the average production of the past five years, according to the West Africa Food Crisis Prevention Network.5 While robust harvests will likely improve food security conditions overall, factors such as floods, high food prices, indebtedness, and conflict-related displacement could continue to cause difficulties for vulnerable populations.
- The situation in Mali remains relatively stable, although insecurity continues, particularly in the north. On December 20, the U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution to allow the deployment of an African-led International Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA) for an initial period of one year to help restore Mali’s territorial integrity. The resolution also urged the transitional Government of Mali to finalize a political roadmap that includes credible elections and fully restores constitutional order.