The West African Sahel region is still in need of large-scale humanitarian assistance despite improving conditions since last year's drought, a United Nations humanitarian official said Tuesday. Robert Piper, UN regional humanitarian coordinator for the Sahel, appealed for 1.7 billion dollars to assist the region, still reeling from recent droughts and armed conflicts, according to DPA. The Sahel, which includes Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Gambia and Nigeria, has 11.6 million people with no food security, despite the improved agricultural outlook this year.
