The African Sahel has seen a number of recurring droughts in modern history, most recently in 2010, and again in 2012, where failed crops, high food prices, a lack of pasture, and regional conflict, left up to 18 million people experiencing both cyclic and chronic food insecurity. ACF, a long term partner of DFID, and operational in the region for a number of years, with ongoing activities in all of the affected West and Central African countries, have responded to the 2012 drought with a multi sectoral intervention including unconditional and conditional cash transfers, health gardens, livestock support, and WASH and nutritional support to health centres for the treatment of acute malnutrition. The evaluations points out the strengths and weakness of the response and provides operational and administrative recommendations for enhancing capacity building and resilience through long-term planning.