Niger has suffered six severe food crises over the past 30 years, four of which came in the past eight years. This year, as the country faces another crisis situation, CRWRC is responding.

Niger, a country in West Africa, is often cited as the poorest country in the world. Nearly 63% of the population lives below the poverty line and 34% is below the threshold for “extreme poverty.” This population is especially vulnerable during times of crop failure and food shortage.

A farmer stands in front of his field that did not produce any food this harvest season.

Niger has suffered six severe food crises over the past 30 years, four of which came in the past eight years.  This year, as the country faces another crisis situation, CRWRC is responding.

Niger, a country in West Africa, is often cited as the poorest country in the world.  Nearly 63% of the population lives below the poverty line and 34% is below the threshold for “extreme poverty.”  This population is especially vulnerable during times of crop failure and food shortage. 

Although there was a good harvest in Niger during 2010, the patchy rains and poor harvest in 2011 have left many without enough food to sustain their families.

Added to this situation, there has been influx of 200,000 refugees from Libya, and an estimated 25,000 people who have crossed over the border from Mali into northern Niger this year.  This is putting an additional strain on families as they try to support even more people with less food than normal. The increasing demand for supplies has also increased food prices, making it even more difficult for families in poverty to purchase food. 

The food crisis has left an estimated 6 million people in Niger (more than half of the villages in the country) at risk of food insecurity this year.  Many are selling animals or going in to debt to buy food.  Others are sending family members into neighboring countries to try to find work.

Through its alliance with the Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB), CRWRC will provide food assistance to urban and rural areas for six months for 4,062 families, approximately 28,434 people, giving people time to harvest the 2012 crops and have greater food security. For many, this food assistance will come as part of a Food for Work (FFW) project – where beneficiaries choose work projects that they will do together to contribute to the long-term development of their communities in exchange for food, like improving communal land or repairing routes to increase access to the market.  These beneficiaries, and others who were unable to do FFW will also be able to purchase food at a subsidized price, so that they will have enough for their families to eat until their next harvest.  CRWRC is also planning to distribute a variety of improved seeds to FFW participants, to increase the diversity of their crops as well as to allow them to have fast-growing crops able to withstand poor or short  rains.  Those who have been identified by CRWRC’s long-term partners as unable to participate in FFW and unable to purchase at a subsidized price, will receive free food rations.