Photo Essay: Hunger Crisis in Niger

By Ann Birch, World Vision

We visited the center on June 1. This was the third session [third week] of a CMAM intervention run by World Vision Niger. By the end of the day 12 new cases of severely acute malnutrition had been identified bringing the total of cases identified to 53 so far at a health center in Koma Bangou. Last year – 2009 - the same center identified a total of just 22 cases for the entire year.

14 month old Lamyne Harouna is feed a Ready to Use Therapeutic Food [Plumpy Nut] by his mother – 20 year old Hussaina Harouna –at a health centre in Koma Bangou ADP. Lamyne was found to be severely acutely malnourished. He was extremely weak and tired. He did however, pass the appetite test which offers hope for his recover.

Hussaina Harouna walks back to her village in Koma Bangou with her 14 month old son – Lamyne – on her back. Hussaina is carrying a supply of Plumy Nut [RUTF] which she has received to feed her severely acutely malnourished child. Koma Bangou is a mining area; which is has extreme weather conditions. Hundreds of families flock to the area in search of gold in what is essentially a non productive mine. They live in extreme poverty.

Two year old Jamila displays baggy sagging skin; a symptom of severe acute malnutrition in a health centre in Koma Bangou.

Two year old Jamila Mourmounie sees a nurse after being diagnosed for severe acute malnutrition in a health centre in Koma Bangou.

Nine month old Zwera – held by her aunt – is tested by community volunteers trained by World Vision Niger - for severe acute malnutrition in Koma Bangou health centre.

A large river bed on the road to Koma Bangou lies completely empty and dry; people and animals try and make use of the last remaining bits of water. Niger’s rainy season normally starts late April / early May. This year, by June 1st , it had only rained three times and small amounts. The lack of rain means that most people have not even been able to begin sowing this year’s harvest. Something which is compounding the normal so called ‘’lean season’’ which are the months when previous cereal stocks have run out and families struggle to make it through the month leading up to the next harvest in October. Again last year’s harvest was poor and many families have reported that they have run out of grain several months ago; a situation which has left more than seven million people [1.5 million under fives] at risk of severe or moderate food insecurity.

Mothers – whose babies have been identified as severely acutely malnourished wait in line to see an MOH nurse at a health centre in Koma Bangou ADP.

Two mothers wash their hands in preparation to give their children an RUTF [plumpy nut] which all babies found to be severely malnourished undergo.

Mothers at a health centre in Koma Bangou Niger wait while their children are tested for malnutrition.

A community volunteer – trained by World Vision – weighs a malnourished baby at a health centre in Koma Bangou ADP.

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