Food aid feeds 73,000 in Niger
Photo courtesy of Plan staff.
Plan and partners have completed the first round of food distribution to 73,000 severely vulnerable people affected by the food crisis in Niger.
Working with the World Food Program, the Nigerien government and local non-governmental organizations, 1,048 tons of food has been delivered to families from 118 communities in the Tillabéri district – one of the worst hit areas.
Additional food aid delivery and distribution will be required before the October harvest. Plan urgently appeals to individuals and organizations for food aid funds as we continue to take action during this hunger crisis.
Communities take the lead
Poor rains and failing crops have left 7,800,000 Nigeriens without food. Many people have survived by eating leaves, reducing meals or sending children to work.
In preparation for the first round of food aid, Plan teams spread out across Tillabéri to check that roads were passable and hired local staff to secure stores and warehouses. But the most essential element of our food distribution is working directly with villagers – community members, especially women, have been instrumental in helping Plan staff identify the most vulnerable families.
“This aid comes at the best moment because we have nothing to eat, and our living conditions are deteriorating day by day,” said Gambi, a mother of 8 living in Sakoira, a village 6 miles from Tillabéri. Her family was given 220lbs of sorghum, a heat-tolerant grain.
