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August 04, 2005
West African Food Crisis
The crisis in West Africa continues. Money is finally being given, and food beginning to arrive, but more help is needed. Please give what you can to help.
Although Niger has been the worst hit so far, and has had most attention, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Mauritania are also badly affected:
Niger
The situation on the ground in the three provinces of Zinder, Maradi and Tahoua is fraught: people are eating grass and dying of hunger; families are walking 20 miles to get to feeding centres where there is not enough food to go around. Children are being tagged as to whether they are starving enough to get food. There is simply not enough for everyone, and many are having to go without.
The rains have finally arrived, which is good for the fields - where people remain to work them - but the rain also brings problems: malaria can kill off those weakened by hunger; roads can be washed away, hindering the trucks bringing food aid.
Cattle and sheep - the main source of livelihood for many - have died in their hundreds. Many who had large herds now have lost all. Those that are left are skin and bones and cannot be sold for any price.
The World Food Programme (WFP) said it had raised its appeal for its Niger operation to US$57.6 million from a previous appeal of US$16 million because of the raised costs of emergency relief. It could have intervened earlier and reduced the price of dealing with the crisis had it received earlier responses to appeals, but international governments were slow to respond.
Further information:
Niger Watch
Guardian special reports.
Slide show
Burkina Faso
More than 500,000 people in Burkina Faso are also in immediate need of food assistance, particularly in the northern province of Oudalan, the area around Gorom-Gorom, where we are doing some food aid distribution.
It seems the high commissioner of the province has just been "removed from office", along with several other local figures, following a scandal in which more than 50 tonnes of food aid "disappeared." Fortunately, the police seem to have acted quickly and effectively to deal with the corruption.
Our food aid will, in any case, be handled by the pastor of the local church, a man I trust, and whom I have used before for similar food distribution.
Mali
More than 1 million people in Mali face a major food crisis because rich countries have not responded to calls for emergency funds. Aid agencies say donors must act now to help the 1.1 million people at risk there. The worst-hit areas in are Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal, in the north of the country. Only 14% of the $7.4m (£4.18m) requested by the World Food Programme for Mali has been received since it launched an appeal in December.
Mauritania
In Mauritania, around 800,000 people - more than 25% of the population - are at risk, with the worst-affected regions being Aftout and Affol, in the south-east, and the Senegal River Valley to the south.
Mauritania has also just had a bloodless coup d'etat, which has been condemned by the UN, African Union, and the US.
Please donate: you can give to the Disaster Emergency Committee, which includes Tear Fund, World Vision, and Christian Aid, and is working in all four countries.
Please blog: write a post about this crisis, to raise awareness and encourage people to respond. Register at Bloggers Unite for Africa to express your concern and commitment.
Tomorrow I hope to give some more thoughts on this food crisis and some elements of a Christian response.
Tags: burkina faso africa aid burkina niger mali famine mauritania
Posted by Keith at August 4, 2005 01:23 PM
