Food crisis in Niger

Niger is ranked 174th out of 177 on the UNDP human development index making it in the top 5 poorest countries in the world. 61% of the population live on less than $1 a day and the under 5 mortality rate is one in four.

A lethal combination of drought and locust infestation triggered severe food shortages in 2005, affecting 3.6 million people in the Maradi and Zinder regions. The underlying cause of the crisis was poverty.

"So many people in Niger are so desperately poor that a small shock creates a humanitarian disaster" says Toby Porter, Save the Children’s Director of Emergencies. "There is no war in Niger, no rebel groups, no despots, no problems getting the aid in. It is just poverty."

The shortages of previous years have made the problem worse as those affected adopted coping mechanisms such as selling land and livestock which leaves them more vulnerable the next time there are shortages.

Although the crop in late 2005 was good most of this was sold to neighbouring Nigeria or to pay off debts accrued during the crisis of 2004 so shortages of food remain a serious issue. Ominously, similar warning signs that heralded the crisis last year are once again apparent.

What is Save the Children doing?
Over 17,000 children admitted to our supplementary feeding programmes.
The supplementary feeding programme targets moderately malnourished children with a weight for height below 80% of the median. Children receive nutritious dry rations on a fortnightly basis, as well as specific micronutrients and health care. Admissions to this programme have not dropped on average.

We are operating 17 outpatient therapeutic programme sites. Children admitted to the programme are receiving medical attention including systematic treatment and medical care and therapeutic food, as well as an additional food ration as protection.

We have distributed family rations to over 18,000 families. The inclusion of a family ration is an integral part of the nutrition programme and has introduced additional food to households who have malnourished children. This aimed to avoid the sharing of the ration of the malnourished child, likely to occur if no food was present in the household.

Alongside nutritional activities, Save the Children provides medical care for malnourished children. Children with minor health problems are directly treated by Save the Children medical staff, whilst those with severe complications are referred to Medicin Sans Frontiere’s in-patient centres. We are also supporting local health centres with in-kind donations (medicines, equipment), technical support, training to Ministry of Health and ensuring access to water and sanitation facilities in these centres.

Plans for the future
Save the Children will continue its nutritional activities, and will monitor the situation for any potential worsening of the situation. This close monitoring will be possible due to the large presence of staff on the ground and the involvement of local communities in our programmes.

In this way we will be in a position to develop an adequate response at an early stage and avoid the degradation and suffering which have been witnessed this year in Niger.