The U.N. appealed for $133 million dollars in aid on Wednesday for the food crisis for the food crisis in Niger. Erratic rainfall cost the country its crops last year, and now 60% (7.8 million) of the population faces a food shortage.
The statistics don’t get better from there. The UN claims 1.5 million cases of malnutrition in children under five will arise in the next year unless urgent action is taken, and 35,000 cases of malnutrition among pregnant and lactating women can be expected. UNICEF also said that more than 850,000 children under five will need to be treated for severe acute malnutrition in the Sahel region of sub-Saharan Africa, of which Niger is a part.
The funds would support emergency distribution of food, water, and medical treatment, and is needed to bring the aid figure for the Niger crisis to the target of $190 million.
The Sahel region has been plagued by cyclical droughts and severe food shortages since the 1970s. The most serious food crisis in the last decade, affecting Niger, Nigeria, and Mali occurred in 2005. Food shortages have also hit Chad, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso and Nigeria.
Posted by Sara Chupein.
