400,000 Children in Niger at Risk of Starvation

Almost 400,000 Children in Niger at Risk of Starvation

Almost 400,000 children in the West African country of Niger are at risk of dying of starvation over their summer, Save the Children warns today.

Save the Children International is calling for urgent donations to its $15 million emergency fundraising appeal for the country, says Save the Children New Zealand’s CEO, Liz Gibbs.

Up to 380,000 children under the age of five are facing severe malnutrition as a result of crop failure caused by an unexpectedly long drought. At the same time food prices have soared by 30 per cent, she says.

In a desperate attempt to get food, children as young as five are travelling hundreds of kilometres across the country to the capital, Niamey, with their families to beg on the city streets.

More than half of Niger's population - 7.1 million people – already don't have enough food as a result of the food crisis. The United Nations has warned that the situation looks set to become worse than Niger's last major food crisis in 2005.

Ms Gibbs said Niger is Africa’s poorest country and already has one of the highest child death rates in the world. This latest crisis will put even more children at risk. Save the Children International has launched an emergency fundraising appeal so it can scale up its work in the country and provide more families with life-saving food and medical treatment.

‘We are also urging our donors to contribute money immediately to enable aid agencies to stave off disaster.

‘New Zealanders wishing to donate to help support can visit our website, www.savethechildren.org.nz or call our donation line 0800 167 168, Ms Gibbs said.

ENDS

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