Sahel food crisis has been made worse by the widespread unrest in Africa

"In Mali the strain of fighting Gadaffi-armed Tuareg rebels in the north has prompted a political crisis, leading directly to a military coup and prompting an exodus from besieged villages, exacerbating food shortages. Of the families fleeing the violence, 20% have at least one child suffering from severe acute malnutrition, according to Action Against Hunger (AAH). 'These are families who have had to hastily flee the violence and they don't have access to basic products like clothing, blankets or cooking utensils. In one out of every five families there is at least one child suffering from severe acute malnutrition,' said AAH's emergency team leader, Helen Valencia. 'The conflict in the north is an aggravating factor to an already fragile situation.'"