Overview
The Republic of Niger is a land-locked sub-Saharan country in western Africa. It's a vast, arid state on the edge of the Sahara, and its largely pastoral and agricultural subsistence-based economy is frequently disrupted by extended droughts common to the Sahel region.
After independence in 1960, Niger's progress was hindered by political instability and a five-year drought, which devastated livestock and crops.
Niger has been been classified as the world’s poorest country, and with little or no primary education, it has one of the world's lowest literacy rates.
It has a very limited health system and disease is widespread.
Niger experienced a major nutrition crisis in 2005.This crisis, followed a drought and locust invasion the previous year, which led to a reduced harvest.
However, malnutrition has existed in a chronic form for many years and even in 'good' years 1 in 4 children die before their fifth birthday.
As a result of the crisis many households are in debt or have sold household assets and livestock to buy food, leaving them even more vulnerable when another crisis hits.
Niger's cycle of drought, bad harvests and disease make it almost impossible for people to lift themselves out of poverty. Read more...
