Millions of people suffered during the 2005 food crisis that affected the Sahel region of West Africa. Drought and locusts, combined with record prices for staple foods left millions struggling to feed themselves and their families. Despite a good harvest at the end of 2005 many people faced continuing difficulties after their livelihoods were ruined.

Working with local partners and communities ActionAid implemented a long-term programme responding to the food crisis in July 2005. It aims to support the recovery of livelihoods and to secure access to food for the most vulnerable, particularly focusing on female headed households.

The affected people are at the centre of ActionAid‘s response and have helped to plan initiatives for overcoming the crisis.

ActionAid’s long term response

• micro-irrigation schemes in which each family is given between 400-500 square metres of land for growing mineral rich vegetables to reduce malnutrition. These schemes continue to benefit 780 households and have created year-round employment for poor and vulnerable people. These schemes have focused predominantly on women
• our partner, SOS Sahel has been promoting a ‘drip irrigation scheme’ which applies a low pressure of water to plants and crops through plastic tubing in the soil. Throughout the region the subsidised sale of irrigation kits together with information and good seeds have enabled families to increase their year-round vegetable production. A thousand female-headed households have benefited from this scheme so far
• thirty seven cereal banks and nine fodder banks throughout Niger are benefiting more than 14,000 households. We have purchased all the food for the banks in the local area, ensuring a fair price is paid to farmers and that the money stays in the community
• we’ve trained 78 community members as mobile vets to maintain the health of livestock in the area. These vets are now practicing on a commercial basis in 58 communities of 88,000 people
• we are strengthening the capacity of local communities to increase their ability to prepare and respond to disasters i.e. through the implementation of community based Early Warning Systems involving Parents and Teachers Associations (PTAs).