In Niger, starvation looms for nearly seven million people in the landlocked African country. Drought, crop failure, pest infestations, and high food prices have triggered severe food shortages, forcing people to leave their homes and sell their livestock and possessions. The humanitarian crisis is far from over.
A new government survey in Niger finds the number of acutely malnourished children under age five has risen to nearly 17 percent, leading World Food Program executive director Josette Sheeran to declare Niger an emergency operation this week. Sheeran also warned that August and September were “critical” months, as children under two needed special nutritional help because their brains and bodies face permanent damage from acute malnutrition. "We risk losing a generation there," she said.
Action Against Hunger, a global humanitarian organization working in Niger to combat the crisis, has a new photo gallery detailing its activities in the country, including therapeutic nutrition programs for severely malnourished children, “cash-for-work” and “training-for-work” programs, and a range of water, sanitation, and hygiene programs to reduce the risk of malnutrition and malnutrition-related diseases.
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