• Poor rains, and locusts decimated crops and grazing land
• As a result, food prices skyrocketeed
• Livestock died in huge numbers

In early 2005, millions of people already living in chronic poverty across Mali, Mauritania and Niger were plunged into a food crisis. Many were reduced to trying to survive on one meal a day or less.

In early 2005 we launched an emergency programme.

In pictures: Oxfam in action

  The locusts came and destroyed our crops - which were already suffering due to the lack of rain from the previous year. No one had any stocks of food to rely on. We were very weak with hunger before Oxfam came to support us.

Resident of Zagoura village, Mauritania

Learn more

• Situation overview
• Oxfam's response

An unimaginable situation

In 2005 a dramatic increase in cereal prices put staple foods out of the reach of the poorest people.

A locust invasion, and erratic rainfall, had already devastated crops and pasture. Families were left facing food shortages, and gradual loss of their means of survival, as animals started to die.

Early on Oxfam realised people needed help to make it through the year, and mounted an emergency response.

• Find out how Oxfam responded

A fragile existence

Animal-herding communities, also known as pastoralists, depend on their animals for survival. They are some of the poorest communities in the Sahel region of West Africa – an area of land south of the Sahara desert, spanning Mali, Mauritania and Niger. 

The Sahara desert is moving southwards, encroaching on pasture and farmland. Access to land and resources, like water, are becoming increasingly scarce. Many pastoralists have already moved to farming, after losing their animals in previous years.

Coping in a harsh environment

Pastoralist communities have developed coping mechanisms for dealing with difficult periods, when there is little food. However it doesn’t take much for these periods of expected shortage to escalate into a food crisis, like the one in 2005.

In pictures: Oxfam’s response to the West Africa food crisis

Oxfam's response

In early 2005 we launched an emergency response to save the lives of those affected by the food crisis, and to improve their ability to cope in the future.

We:

• Distributed food
• Vaccinated animals
• Provided subsidised animal feed
• Organised seed trade fairs where poor farmers were given vouchers to purchase seeds
• Implemented cash and voucher for work schemes – paying people for working on community projects

In pictures: Oxfam’s response to the West Africa food crisis

Reaching those in need

We targeted areas that were hard to access, ensuring that we reached the most vulnerable people first.

In Mali and Mauritania we worked with our long-term partners. In Niger we initiated a response without any existing Oxfam infrastructure.

Full report: West Africa Crisis One year on report - July 06 (400KB pdf)

Ongoing work

Our emergency response finished in April 06. However we are committed to continuing our work in Mali, Mauritania and Niger to try and tackle the underlying causes of chronic poverty, and help prevent a repeat of this crisis.

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