Malnutrition crisis 'looming in Niger'
15/03/2010
A malnutrition crisis could be about to sweep Niger, aid agencies have warned.
Over 20,000 children under the age of five are being treated for the condition, with a further 200,000 at risk of developing the disease, Irin News reports.
The statistics have come from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the number has increased because individuals have been selling prized cattle, eating food intended for animals and cutting meals, the news provider explained.
Kalil Hamadoun, field director for the Zinder region of the country at Medecins Sans Frontieres, said: "You have to go to the field to realise that we need to act now."
Modibo Traore from OCHA warned that delivery of food to the affected areas could "take weeks" before arriving at its intended destination.
The country recently claimed it requires $123 million of international assistance to make up for the shortages, according to voanews.com.
Written by Dan Parr
