Media Advisory - The HUMANITARIAN COALITION and CIDA Hold News Conference on Crisis in Sahel

OTTAWA, Sept. 17, 2012 /CNW/ - On Tuesday, September 18, the HUMANITARIAN COALITION and International Cooperation Minister Julian Fantino will share with Canadians a first-hand account of what is going on in the Sahel region of West Africa. One of our Board members, Plan Canada President and CEO Rosemary McCarney, has just returned from a trip to Burkina Faso with Minister Fantino and will share her observations and recommendations for a solution to the crisis.

More than 18 million people across the Sahel, including one million children, are facing a food crisis caused by drought, low harvests, inflated market prices and, more recently, floods. The situation is compounded by the turmoil in Mali, where insecurity is forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee to refugee camps in neighbouring countries.

What: News conference
Who: Minister Fantino, Parliamentary Secretary Lois Brown, CEOs from our member agencies
Where: Foyer of the House of Commons
When: Tuesday, September 18, 3:45pm

The HUMANITARIAN COALITION is comprised of CARE Canada, Oxfam Canada, Oxfam-Québec, Plan Canada and Save the Children. With a combined presence in more than 120 countries, we bring together Canada's leading aid agencies to finance relief efforts in times of international humanitarian crises. We work together to reduce administrative costs by uniting to raise funds and inform the public on humanitarian needs.

SOURCE: Humanitarian Coalition

For media inquiries, please contact:

HUMANITARIAN COALITION
Marie-Jo Proulx
Communications Manager
613-617-3596
[email protected]

CARE Canada
Suzanne Charest
613-790-2134
[email protected]

Oxfam Canada
Juliet O'Neill
613-240-3047
[email protected]

Oxfam-Québec
Justine Lesage
514-513-0013
[email protected]

Plan Canada
Abigail Brown
416-920-1654 ext.277
[email protected]

Save the Children
Cicely McWilliam
647-291-1683
[email protected]