By Travis Massar*
© Counterpart International
Niger is once again facing a severe food crisis, and it may be even worse than the devastating food crisis of 2005. Most of the 15 million people living in Niger are currently suffering from food insecurity. In the worst hit regions, more than 64 percent of the population is severely food insecure.
Ranking last on the UNDP’s Human Development Index, Niger is regarded as the poorest country on the planet. Even in a good year, food is scarce, and the malnutrition rate among children under 5 is about 12 percent. But with rainfall about 70 percent below normal in the agricultural season of 2009, crops across Niger failed, leaving millions of people facing severe food shortages. Almost 17 percent of Nigerien children under 5 suffer from acute malnutrition, well past the 15 percent emergency threshold, according to UNICEF.
Farmers are forced to eat seeds they were saving to plant for the next harvest, and cattle herders are forced to sell off their animals at a fraction of their real value, or watch as they starve to death. Families have to sell all of their household assets just to buy food. Without enough food to feed their children, parents are forced to uproot, take their children out of school and move in search of better economic opportunities. The need is greatest now, as this year’s harvest will not arrive until September.
In response to this crisis, Counterpart International is supporting 17 health centers in the most severely affected areas of Niger. We are providing these centers with supplies of therapeutic and non-therapeutic food and helping the community health workers identify, treat and prevent moderate malnutrition. Counterpart’s staff in Niger is also educating the population about proper nutrition, hygiene and maternal and child health practices.
In addition to our work in health centers, Counterpart is setting up cereal banks in 45 villages. Cereal bank grain is stored in small warehouses, and it is used not just to feed families during the current crisis, but also to build resiliency to food insecurity by implementing a longer-term solution.
In an area plagued by low agricultural production, limited non-farm income opportunities and erratic environmental conditions, cereal banks create and maintain a consistent and stable source of grain throughout the lean season. Counterpart provides the initial stock of cereals; these cereals are sold at stabilized prices throughout the lean season. The cereal bank is then restocked during harvest time when prices are at their low point, allowing for a sustainable source of cereals.
Counterpart’s continued interventions in Niger offer hope in a time of critical need. Our efforts work to build resiliency to food insecurity in the future, while also providing immediate assistance to the millions without enough food.
Learn more about Counterpart’s work in Niger on our website.
*Travis Massar is a Program Assistant in Counterpart’s Food Security and Nutrition division. He has been at Counterpart since 2008.