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Food Crisis in West Africa- We Need Your Support

Mary Frampton | 24.06.2010 11:46

Ten million people in West Africa are facing severe hunger and malnutrition because of drought, poor harvests and rising food prices. Oxfam have launched a £7million emergency appeal which aims to help more than 800,000 of those most vulnerable

Credit: Aubrey Wade- Dodi Aluis Mangari, president of GIE, the pasturalist's co-
Credit: Aubrey Wade- Dodi Aluis Mangari, president of GIE, the pasturalist's co-

Credit: Aubrey Wade- Niamey..Men walking with their donkey carts loaded with cat
Credit: Aubrey Wade- Niamey..Men walking with their donkey carts loaded with cat


Worsening conditions in the Sahel region of West Africa have seen malnutrition rates soar, as families struggle to find enough food to eat. Niger - the world’s poorest country - is at the centre of the crisis, with almost half the population facing food insecurity. Millions are also at risk in Chad, Mali, and Mauritania, with parts of Burkina Faso and Nigeria also affected.

In some areas people are eating wild fruits, leaves and maize meant for feeding poultry. Cattle herders, who depend on their animals for food and income, are among the worst affected as many animals have died, forcing families to travel far from their homes in search of food and pasture for their animals.

In Niger, Mali and Chad, Oxfam is distributing food, seeds and animal feed to the most vulnerable families, buying weak livestock from herders at above-market prices and making the meat available to local populations; vaccinating animals and running cash-for-work programmes. However we are currently facing a funding gap of £7 million to tackle the crisis and desperately need your doantions and support.



“We are witnessing an unfolding disaster which can be averted if we act quickly”, said Mamadou Biteye, who heads Oxfam’s work in West Africa, “the next harvests are several months away and people are already desperate. People are eating leaves and drinking dirty water. Unless we can raise money for this we will be forced to turn our backs on those most in need. That is why we are calling on the public, at a time when we know money is tight, to dig deep into their pockets to help those in the most dire need. Just a small amount will make a huge difference. For £20 you could feed a family for ten days.”

Just a small amount will make a huge difference. For £20 you could feed a family for ten days. You can donate to Oxfam’s appeal online, by calling, or texting.

Text. ‘DONATE’ to 70066 to give £5*

Click. www.oxfam.org.uk/emergencies

Call. 0300 200 1999

*SMS texts charged at your standard network rates. We will receive around 85% of your donation depending on your network provider


Mary Frampton
- e-mail: maryf@oxfam.org.uk
- Homepage: http://www.oxfam.org.uk

Comments

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Till all are Free

24.06.2010 15:47

I am shocked and appalled at the barbaric treatment of donkeys by people in these countrys and you shall not get a penny of my money untill you can guarentee they will be liberated from the burdens imposed upon them by cruel and saditious humans.

Till All Are Free

Libsey

@ libsey

24.06.2010 17:37

I agree that donkeys are treated appallingly but for goodness sake we are hardly paragons of virtue. In fact we as a society have bled Africa dry in part for grain to feed our meat and dairy fetish. We are in a situation whereby we can live in relative luxury for example running water, a health service etc partly because of imperialism. It is very complex but industry and empire, the foundations of the wealth we enjoy are arguably built on the slave trade an appalling abuse which crucified the continent. AND still Africans dig all day for diamonds, our tea and our coffee just about able to buy food.

In fact there are many appalling things going on in Africa including the gross abuse of all animals human and non human from the slaughter of gorillas, to the infibulation of young girls and witch hunts. It is too simplistic and indeed callous to disregard the suffering of others because they abuse non humans in a different way to us. If the people are suffering, the donkeys will be much worse off.

I see stopping human rights abuses such as starvation as part of animal liberation. After all if you care not for a peasant farmer at least think about the fact that when people live hand to mouth they tend to have many more children for practical reasons upping the human population which impacts dreadfully on wild creatures. There are massive barriers to break down race, gender, sexuality and species but let us not be heartless towards those who are only doing what we would do if in the same circumstances. In fact I am sure that it could be argued that the eco footprint of someone starving is far less than you or I thus taking less from other animals,so who are we to judge safe in our homes with full cupboards and abundant fields?

Of course there are no easy answers but if we are to liberate animals from human tyranny we must ensure that humans are also liberated. People who are living day to day are not going to have the luxury of doing much else but just struggling to survive.

I would however agree that other animals are not ours to use in any way

Lynn Sawyer