Mauritania

West Africa is hit by its worst food crisis in a decade, with 27 million people going hungry. This number could rise to 38 million this June - a new historic level and already an increase by more than a third over last year- unless urgent action is taken.

Inequality is at crisis levels in West Africa, yet these governments are less committed to reducing inequality than the rest of the continent.

In 2012, the Sahel region of West and Central Africa was once again hit by a severe food crisis, affecting over 18 million people at its peak. At the start of 2012, when the crisis

In a new report, 'Learning the Lessons', international agency Oxfam says that the aid community needs to fundamentally change the way it deals with food crises in the region and help communities to better prepare for recurring emergencies.

International aid agency Oxfam is extremely concerned that the recent intensification of fighting in Mali, which includes the intervention of French military, could worsen restrictions on humanitarian access and lead to a significant increase the humanitarian needs of populations across the country and in neighboring states.

Millions of people in West Africa could be protected from a serious food crisis if preparations are scaled up across West Africa, Oxfam said today.