Humanitarian context
In Senegal, 80% of the population make their living from agriculture or livestock farming. The challenge of producing and storing produce is compounded by the difficult climatic conditions in departments such as Podor, Matam and Linguère. The Sahel region suffers from frequent cycles of drought and declining rainfall, as well as the growing presence of crises (fires, floods, etc.), which affect food and nutrition security.
Recent data from the 2023 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS 2023) show that 18% of under-fives are stunted or chronically malnourished, while 4% are severely stunted. In turn, wasting affects 10% of children, 1% of them severely, and underweight (insufficient body weight) affects 16% of under-fives, 3% of whom are severely underweight. According to the Harmonised Framework report, this situation was also reflected in a deterioration of food security between October and December 2023. The report predicted an increase in the number of departments under pressure and in crisis to 314,055.
beneficiaries
workers
NUTRITION AND HEALTH
WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE
EXPATRIATES
NATIONAL
Our activity
Action Against Hunger's interventions in 2023 have focused on the departments of Matam, Podor and Louga, with the aim of addressing the consequences of malnutrition and tackling its root causes, such as limited access to basic services, and food insecurity. These initiatives are part of a multi-sectoral approach covering nutrition, food security, water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as employability, with the aim of improving food and nutrition security in the region.
In 2023, Action Against Hunger's intervention in northern Senegal was carried out through the implementation of integrated projects aimed at addressing nutrition insecurity and resolving its root causes, in particular with the Integrated Project to Support Food and Nutrition Resilience (PIARAN), which strengthens horticultural production in villages, using a nutrition-sensitive approach and agro-ecological techniques. At the global level, Action Against Hunger continues to support SECNSA (Executive Secretariat of the National Food Security Council) with the Sahel GIS project for the monitoring of pastoralism throughout the Ferlo area.
A GIZ-funded employability project has improved the conditions for job placement and entrepreneurship in the dairy, fish farming and beekeeping value chains for women and young people from rural households in the department of Podor.
Action Against Hunger is also involved in research projects, such as the TISA project, to assess the link between washing and nutrition in the treatment of severe acute malnutrition, or the ECNUT project in Louga, based entirely on a community approach, where communities are responsible for carrying out their own self-diagnosis, prioritising problems and devising solutions adapted to the socio-economic environment.
The 2023 projects have helped to reduce the food vulnerability of almost 800,306 people in the region and to build up evidence in the fight against hunger, through the presentation of scientific results at 4 international forums and the writing of articles for publication.
WHERE WE HELP
We help 24.5 million people each year. We work in 55 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe, those most threatened by hunger.