Korea to Provide $10 Million to Central Sahel Region... Discussing Security, Economy, and Humanitarian Issues

Climate Change, Armed Conflicts, Terrorism Spread, COVID-19 Worsen Situation
Vice Minister Lee Tae-ho Attends Ministerial Video Conference on Humanitarian Situation in Central Sahel with 25 Participants from France, UK, Canada, UAE, etc.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the 20th, Lee Tae-ho, the 2nd Vice Minister, attended the 'Ministerial Roundtable on the Humanitarian Situation in the Central Sahel Region' via video conference, emphasizing the need for coordinated international response and a comprehensive approach to address the difficulties across security, economic, and humanitarian situations in the region. He also stated that the Korean government will actively participate in these efforts.

The video conference was attended by about 25 ministers, including the hosts, the three Central Sahel countries, and representatives from Korea, France, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Co-hosted by Denmark, Germany, the European Union, and the United Nations, the meeting was held to raise international awareness and consolidate support and solidarity regarding the increasingly severe humanitarian situation in the Central Sahel region?comprising Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso?due to climate change, armed conflicts, the spread of terrorism, and the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

Vice Minister Lee emphasized the need to address the root causes of instability and humanitarian crises in the Sahel region, such as poverty, climate change, and weak governance. He stressed the importance of a long-term approach, including capacity building and institutional development for the respective governments. In particular, he announced that the government plans to provide a total of 10 million USD in support for 2020-2021. This assistance includes humanitarian aid to respond to the health crisis caused by COVID-19 and the food crisis due to desert locust swarms, as well as development cooperation projects aimed at improving the agricultural environment through education for women and girls and the establishment of climate crisis management systems.

Furthermore, Vice Minister Lee explained the Korean government's ongoing efforts for sustainable development and peace in the Sahel region and reaffirmed the government's support for the people of the Sahel. As a member of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission, the government led the adoption of a resolution by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 2019, requesting that the UN link peacebuilding efforts with development assistance to enhance the effectiveness of support for the five Sahel countries (Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, and Mauritania).

The participants of the meeting agreed on the necessity and importance of a comprehensive approach linking humanitarian aid, development, and peacebuilding to resolve the humanitarian situation in the Central Sahel region and committed to continuing their efforts to improve the humanitarian conditions in the area.