The Zakat Foundation of America

Niger

Chronic hunger plagues the desert country of Niger. It remains one of the poorest countries in the world with an economy based primarily on agriculture that is frequently disrupted by periods of extended drought.

The year 2010 saw the worst food crisis in the country’s recent history. Rainfall was seventy percent below normal, severe drought decimated crops and livestock, pushing nearly seven million people in Niger into serious food insecurity. The famine affected all aspects of life, as thousands of children were pulled out of schools when parents left their villages to search for food. Minimal government services and insufficient resources are serious obstacles to the development of the country.

Emergency Relief Children of Niger

In June of 2010, Zakat Foundation began a four month campaign to tackle the mounting humanitarian crisis caused by massive scale starvation that is afflicting the people of Niger, West Africa. continue reading »