Niger is a landlocked, sub-Saharan nation in West Africa. It is also the poorest country in the world, with the worst health and development problems according to the UN Human Development Index.

Most of Niger’s 14 million people earn a living by growing basic crops or by raising livestock, but farmers have faced shrinking harvests. The country has cycles of droughts, and more than 80% of the land is desert. Niger’s agricultural land is threatened by expanding deserts.

Children
Growing up in Niger is not easy. Every year around a quarter of children die before their fifth birthday. Gaining an education is also a problem. Niger has one of the lowest literacy rates in the world.

The health system is basic and most people cannot afford to pay for health care. Many children suffer from malnutrition, which stunts their growth and slows down their immune system, leaving them more vulnerable to disease.

More than half of Nigeriens do not have access to clean water.

Food Crisis

The food crisis in 2005 had a devastating effect on the country, affecting 3.6 million people including 800,000 children. A humanitarian emergency was declared in both Niger and neighbouring Mali.

At the end of 2005 the situation reached recovery phase, but fears remain that the crisis could return. Islamic Relief is monitoring the situation to ensure we can act quickly if large food gaps re-appear.

Islamic Relief in Niger

Islamic Relief began working in Niger in June 2005 with an emergency programme to address the food and nutritional crisis.

Islamic Relief’s programmes cover Health and Nutrition and Water and Sanitation. Health and nutrition intervention includes Therapeutic Feeding Centres in four district hospitals for severely malnourished children with medical complications.

There are also 35 community integrated health centres with Supplementary Feeding Centres to provide rehabilitation for moderately malnourished children. IR provides free access to health care for malnourished children their mothers, pregnant and nursing women.

Water and sanitation activities include drilling/digging of wells, installation of hand pumps, construction of public latrines and raising community awareness to prevent mass outbreaks of disease.