Like North Korea, food deficiency in the Gambia is being concealed and then denied by the regime by public pronouncements that the situation is less dire or non-existent. Luckily, there are local and international NGOs working in the area trying to address the problem as best as they can but relying on the goodwill of external donors, including private donors.
The prevalence of Kwashiorkor, a rare nutritional disease, is ravaging both the central and the upper regions of the country causing starvation, threatening the lives of many Gambian children.
The international organizations, especially the United Nations specialized agencies, appear to be moving cautiously to avoid the wrath of a regime that is increasingly hostile to them. The threat of expulsion from the country is a reality that these international civil servants have to deal with daily. Several UN representatives and a UK diplomat have been expelled by the regime in Banjul over Jammeh's claim of his ability to cure HIV/AIDS among other deviations from the regime's propaganda designed to conceal the facts from the citizenry.
Mission reports conclusions that are unfavorable to the regime, although discussed with the regime, are never discussed openly for fear that it may result in public debate and alarm. The regime will not react favorably to the messenger i.e. the UN agencies. As a result, they are all threading carefully.
