Famine in Niger 2010

Niger is now facing the worst hunger crisis in its history, the UN's World Food Programme says, with almost half the population - or 7.3 million people - in desperate need of food.

I want to announce some brighter side of this situation. World Food Program managed to collect more than $100m dollar in donations and feeding campaign has started.

An underlying set of factors makes Niger more vulnerable to food insecurity. These include:

* Extreme poverty -- the country ranks bottom in the 2009 UNDP Human Development Index.

* Niger has one of the highest rates of population increase in the world and highest fertility rate.

* Cereal prices have remained above the pre- food price crisis levels of two years ago.

* A large part of the population is dependent on subsistence farming. Illiteracy amongst female population is highest in the world and most of existing elementary schools was created in last ten years.

* Malnutrition rates in Niger are high: Ten percent of children under five suffer from acute malnutrition and 40 percent of children suffer from chronic malnutrition.

* A harsh environment is made even worse by climate change and the poor management of environmental resources.

You can expect that people started planting new food in this week, or they are going to start in the next, but they cannot harvest the crops before October.