A group of children in Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone

Poverty, widespread malnutrition, Ebola and a weak economy are just some of the problems the small West African country faces.

Sierra Leone is among the poorest nations in the world, with the country ranking 182nd out of 189 countries in the Human Development Index.

The population faces many challenges, ranging from poor sanitation services to rampant hunger and high infant mortality rates. Lack of access to basic services is also a problem, with almost 3 million people lacking access to safe water.

The government has responded by developing a strategy that prioritises four areas:

  • improving access to electricity
  • developing a national transport system
  • increasing productivity in agriculture
  • taking on the nation’s social and humanitarian challenges

Country facts

  • 7.8m

    Sierra Leone has a population of 7.8 million people.

  • 7,557

    Our programmes reached over 7,500 people in Sierra Leone in 2020.

  • 29.5%

    Almost 30% of Sierra Leonean children under five suffer from malnutrition.

Action Against Hunger’s work in Sierra Leone

Action Against Hunger has operated in Sierra Leone since 1991. In 2020, our teams’ programmes in Sierra Leone included:

  • taking part in the country’s Covid-19 rapid response project by installing two emergency water kiosks and providing personal protective equipment to 1,000 key health workers
  • strengthening the health system and services across the country
  • preventing undernutrition in pregnant women and new mothers in the Moyamba district
A man waters his field at an Action Against Hunger programme in Sierra Leone.

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