You, Too, Can Help Fight Niger's Famine

In poverty-stricken Niger, it comes as no surprise that drought is pushing the most vulnerable people to the brink of hunger. Right? But then you hear a statistic like this one, with the power to shock even the most cynical: right now, fully half of the country's 13.4 million inhabitants are facing famine.

How did this happen? In late 2009, the elements for a perfect storm began to brew. A drop in grain production, a rainy season that came too little and too late -- together with severe poverty and high food prices -- spelled disaster for Niger's people. Even among herders, who are well-adapted to raising livestock in Niger's unwelcoming arid climate, the current drought has wrought havoc. In a country where three-quarters of people at least partly depend on livestock for their subsistence, dried-up grazing lands and soaring animal feed prices have forced people to sell their livestock at far below market prices. Their other choice is to watch helplessly as their animals become weak and die. Left with nothing, many are being forced to migrate to Niger's cities or flee to nieghboring countries, putting more pressure on already strained resources.

This crisis in Niger is serious, and unfortunately, it's not new. In 2005, poor rains and waves of locusts left Niger with one of the smallest harvests in years. After months of missed warning signs, the United Nations appealed for aid, to a lackluster response from member nations. Meanwhile, the government of Niger played down the problem. Over the course of a year, the food crisis in Niger hardly made international news, while hundreds of thousands in the country starved.

The good news is that this time around, the response has been better. Warning systems, pre-positioning of food stocks and humanitarian personnel and a government more welcoming of assistance have enabled aid organizations to take action more rapidly. In an effort to get aid to people quickly, authorities and organizations in eastern Niger have recently planned a massive caravan of food and supplies to reach 35,000 people next week.

But still, more needs to be done. Though donors have responded more quickly in 2010 than in 2005, many continue to channel their resources to Haiti, leaving few untapped funds for other emergencies. And at this point, the UN-NGO joint humanitarian appeal for Niger is still only 30% funded.

That's where you come in.

There are aid organizations on the ground working tireless hours to reach famine victims. The United Nations World Food Program (WFP), UNICEF and Save The Children are just three of the many organizations getting food and supplies to those in need. In emergencies like this one, individual donations allow these organizations to mobilize resources quickly, instead of waiting for governments to respond. And for just $1, agencies like WFP are able to feed a nutritious meal to four children. So keep the people of Niger in mind the next time you buy a morning cup of coffee or a Saturday night beer, and think about making a contribution. 

Photo Credit: DraconianRain