Works of Mercy

CRS Responds to Pockets of Hunger Across Africa

Countries in East Africa are continuing to cope with drought conditions that have affected the livelihoods of millions of people and left them struggling to find enough to eat. At the same time, West Africa is starting to prepare for the coming hungry season, one year after a food crisis crippled the region.

East Africa — Kenya
Rains have now started in East Africa, including Kenya, where 3.5 million people were affected by drought in recent months. But even if the rains continue, recovering from the drought will be difficult for many families who have limited access to the food they need. Declining nutrition levels are still evident in northern and eastern parts of the country, and child malnutrition rates continue to hover well above the emergency threshold.

	Farming fields withered after prolonged drought.

The widespread loss of livestock to drought conditions, and a decline in prices for these animals, have made recovery even more difficult for pastoral families. In addition, surviving animals, weakened by the conditions, are now more susceptible to diseases.

CRS/Kenya responded at the onset of the drought by diverting food to the communities with the greatest need. In recent weeks, CRS' response is continuing to grow. Using money from the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, UNICEF, private donors and other sources, CRS will provide supplementary feeding for children 5 and under, clean water and sanitation, and help for farmers.

West Africa — Niger
A brutal combination of drought and locust invasions across the Sahel region last year resulted in a food crisis that affected more than 12 million people. In Niger, where 3.6 million people were at risk because of food shortages, many are still trying to recover from devastating losses. Conditions are generally better this year, but some estimates indicate that 2.7 million people in Niger — more than 20 percent of the population — are still hungry.

Having lost their crops, many families in Niger were forced to buy the food they needed by borrowing on future earnings, often reimbursing creditors in-kind with their meager harvests. This left many farmers with only enough food to meet their families' needs for less than four months. Survival strategies — such as taking day-labor jobs or selling off goods and young animals — have already become common throughout affected parts of the country. People who resort to borrowing more money have been forced to pay exorbitant interest rates, as high as 200 percent.

The result, in many cases, is hunger. Malnutrition rates have reached 16 percent in some areas of Niger that CRS serves. Farmers in the most affected communities don't have seed on hand as the rainy season approaches, signaling another difficult year for vulnerable households. CRS is gearing up to respond; activities may include feeding centers for young children and agricultural supports targeting vulnerable farmers who have lost more than half their harvest.

Labels: Charities