Field Updates
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Muslim Hands teams are now operating in Mali as well as Niger.
Ismail Badr of the MH Niger Response Team reports:
We are now finishing the first two weeks of emergency work which started with a quick assessment of the general sitution. It is true that there is a real famine taking place, especially in the east and north.
As often happens in a poor country when there is such a problem, the countryside people start moving towards the big cities and towns. Indeed we have found many needy and displaced people around Niamey and other cities like Touha, Konni, Maradi and Filingue.
The MH Team has come across different kinds of sufferings and deprived families during the past two weeks. When people and ants struggle for the single grain, there must be a real famine. When all men and women, sick, pregnant or handicapped, children and others are all in the same queue, the only thing which is needed is urgent aid and relief.
Alhamdulilah, MH started instantly its Emergency Programme by supplying food to the needy.
As the people of Niger depend on grain, maize and rice, we started with rice and maize distribution. We have to date distributed over 40 tonnes of rice and 15 tonnes of maize in the four provinces of Niamey, Touah, Maradi and Filingue. The total number of beneficiaries so far is 6,000 families or 40,000 persons.
Today the price of rice has shot up. A tonne now costs £20 more and so the team have decided to only distribute maize for the time being as it is cheap and just as effective.
A Muslim Hands team spent the whole of yesterday in the Manga Ize district, 155Km north of Niamey.
There were around 550 families in Makania Azzakah village who had started eating leaves from the trees and picking grains from ant's areas and holes. The 3,000 inhabitants had not received any aid since the beginning of the famine.
The MH team distributed 5.5 tonnes of rice in the area.
Ismail Abdullah, MH Niger Emergency Response Team Coordinator comments:
"The team is distributing 40 tonnes of rice and 25 tonnes of maize in parcels of 10 kilos per family. Recipients are selected in a way to ensure the beneficiaries are genuinely needy.
"People keep expressing their happiness on our arrival with everyone in the area we're working in saying that we're the first aid agency to bring them aid."
Teams continue to work their way across the south of Niger, especially helping those in more rural areas who've received little or no aid to date.
Muslim Hands distribution of food aid has begun in three main areas:
Touah Province
This province in Niger is located around 600km north-east of the capital Niamey
and is home to around 300,000 people.
The people of this region have been suffering due to the famine long before emergency relief aid began to reach them.
MH has begun aid distribution with the purchase of 9 tonnes of rice, which has been parcelled into 10kg bags and distributed to families in the two worst affected villages: Sabangari and Makogi.
Over 900 individual families benefited from Muslim Hands' food aid and a warehouse in the region is being reloaded with supplies.
Maradi Province
Maradi province is located 800km from Niamey and its town is the second largest
in Niger with a population of over 500,000.
This province is also seriously affected by the famine -- due to the combination of poor rains last year and more recently a locust invasion.
MH teams reached the province to assess the situation and establish a food warehouse. 8 tonnes of maize has been purchased, parcelled into 10kg bags and distributed to badly affected people, especially those in rural areas.
Amongst the beneficiaries were inhabitants of the Talkamao and Dan Gamji villages (both located 8 to 9km away from the Maradi town).
Mayors of the two villages expressed their appreciation for the intervention of Muslim Hands:
"This is the only organisation we have seen providing direct food aid to the needy here -- we have heard many times that food aid is coming to our needy people but up to now we have not seen a single cup of food aid from any organisation except your organisation. Therefore we thank you on behalf of the people of the village and pray for your organisation's long life and success."
Efforts are being stepped up in the region as there are many more needy people and some of those in more remote areas are yet to be reached due to poor roads.
Koara-Tegui
This area close to the capital has a large number of affected people. Muslim Hands
teams have begun aid distribution and have secured a warehouse that is being
stocked with further supplies.
As with most parts of Niger, food and other aid distribution will need to continue for many more months. Ismail Abdullah, the MH Emergency Response Team Coordinator in Niger comments:
"Although there has been some rainfall recently, the current famine will not improve until the crops are harvested in January 2006 at the earliest. With millions already suffering from severe malnutrition it is imperative that aid distribution is carried out without delay."
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