Fending off a food crisis in West Africa

Recent years have seen areas surrounding the Niger River, above, having less rainfall and longer droughts. Photo credit: Mathieu Dessus

The food crisis in the Horn of Africa, identified by the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) as the largest global humanitarian crisis today, looks to be moving west. With signs of growing demand for food and rising prices in Niger and neighboring countries, international organizations are coming together to prevent a full-blown crisis.

In Niger, the government reports that 750,000 people are severely food insecure at present but this figure will likely rise to as much as one million people by early 2012. OCHA has called for a scale up of efforts before the lean season begins, emphasizing that preventing malnutrition would cost four times less than treating it.

Due to poor rains and resulting low yields, the World Food Program reports that the price of 100 kilograms of millet in Niger rose by over 41 percent between October and November, from $29 to $41. Mamadou Biteye, Regional Director of West Africa at Oxfam, told MediaGlobal that food price spikes are being seen across the Sahel region, which is suffering a shortfall of 25 percent in cereal compared to 2010. This season’s irregular rains have not only hampered agricultural output, but also affected other streams of earning due to reduction in water resources and fodder for animals.

This ecological vulnerability is exacerbated by a heavy reliance on remittances. “Another driver of the current food insecurity is the reduction in the incomes of vulnerable people in the region,” Biteye noted. “These were negatively impacted by a significant reduction of remittance inflows due the return of migrants in Libya and Ivory Cost…who have fled those conflicts or lost their jobs.”

This is especially detrimental for regions like Oualam in Niger where Oxfam reports that 20 to 50 percent of household incomes came from remittances and 40 to 60 percent of food had to be bought from markets. This dangerous compounding of deficits in income and production means prices are rising as consumption plummets in a region already battling malnutrition.

John Ging, Director of Operations for OCHA, released a statement confirming that national governments have commenced preemptive steps, such as distributing fodder to pastoralists and selling subsidized grain. But the extent of the crisis may be beyond the means of these local authorities, and will demand international assistance.

The WFP has pledged to provide nutritional assistance to pregnant women, malnourished nursing mothers, and children under the age of two. “Government and NGOs are important partners for WFP in implementing its activities,” said Vigno Hounkanli, Public Information Officer in Niger’s WFP Office. “There is a very good collaboration between the government and WFP which responded to the government’s early support plan to help 750,000 severely food insecure households by launching its Cash and Food for Work Program. These programs are being implemented with national and international NGOs.”

Oxfam had already initiated a campaign called GROW, which works with farmers’ organizations and other NGOs to prevent food crises. They have also set up Food Security Thematic Groups at the regional level to formulate advocacy agendas and actions. Oxfam is working to disseminate information so that there can be more knowledge on the situation and better responses to the crisis, as well as partnering with local governments to conduct field assessments in the region.

Biteye observed that the Sahel is a chronically vulnerable region and will require long-term investment in agriculture and regional food reserves to safeguard against such shocks. Until then, however, he tells MediaGlobal, “There is no excuse for delaying the response that should be well targeted and appropriate. For that resources should be mobilized now in order to have fast and fair responses targeting the most vulnerable people: women and pastoralists.”