The United Nations has named Senegalese economist Abdoulaye Mar Dieye as special coordinator for development in the Sahel, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday.

The position's creation, aimed at countering humanitarian and security crises in the region, comes as experts warn of increased hunger and jihadist violence there.

Last month, officials coordinating food security initiatives said that without action, the number of people facing hunger in the region could reach a record high of 24 million people.

Dieye, who is based in Dakar and is currently an advisor to the United Nations Development Programme, "is a macroeconomist and development expert with strong leadership experience in managing complex development portfolios over the last 35 years," Guterres said in a statement.

The appointment comes after resolutions adopted by the UN recognized "the deteriorating situation" across the Sahel region, and called for stronger "collective and integrated engagement... recognizing the inter-linked nature of the security, humanitarian and development crises."

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