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West Africa rains wreck crops

Heavy rainfall in West Africa caused the Niger River to overflow during the weekend, destroying thousands of homes and crops. At least 100 people were killed by the rains across the region, according to news agency Reuters.

12 Aug 2010

The BBC reported on Tuesday (10 August 2010) that around five thousand people's homes were destroyed in the flooding in Niger and a further 20,000 were at risk of displacement if the rains continued. Niger's Sahel region had already been facing a severe food crisis.

Aid groups now warn that the situation may worsen if heavy rains continue to destroy crops ahead of the October harvests. American aid agency USAID and the Famine Early Warning Systems Network said on Tuesday that acute malnutrition rates have already doubled in some regions since 2009.

Source: Panos London

Panos London promotes the participation of poor and marginalised people in national and international development debates through media and communication projects. It is part of the worldwide Panos Network of independent institutes working to ensure that information is used more effectively to foster debate, pluralism and democracy.

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