Fewer people expected to go hungry in Africa in 2013, but more children face malnourishment

"Despite good rains across much of the Sahel this year, 1.4 million children are expected to be malnourished -- up from one million in 2012, according to the 2013 Sahel regional strategy," IRIN reports. "The strategy, which calls on donors to provide $1.6 billion of aid for 2013, says fewer people are expected to go hungry in 2013 -- 10.3 million instead of 18.7 million in 2012," the news service writes.

"Harvests across much of the Sahel were fairly good this year following more steady rains, but vulnerability remains as the 2012 crisis, on the back of crises in 2005 and 2010, left many families heavily indebted, with severely depleted assets, and with no seeds to plant," according to IRIN. "Food insecurity is at the root of just one third of malnutrition cases, says the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF), with other drivers including poor health services, lack of clean water, and poor infant caring practices," the news service adds (12/20).