Millions of people are facing severe food shortages in the Sahel region of West Africa (Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Senegal and Niger). The semi-arid region was devastated last year by the worst locust invasion in 15 years, resulting in vast destruction of staple crops due to be harvested, including maize, sorghum and millet.

In Niger, more than 2.5 million people are affected by the famine and 150,000 children could die. The UN estimates it will be able to feed 1.2m people by September, but that only represents a third of those in need of food.

What Plan is doing
Plan has been working in Niger since 1996 with communities in the Tillabery (Tillabéri) and Dosso regions. In these communities we swiftly responded to the food crisis. We have been helping thousands of children at risk from malnutrition through the distribution of supplementary food and micronutrients and assisting their families to improve their food security. We are now expanding our emergency work to reach 68 villages in the Tillabery region to support more children and families.