Regularly, Niger finds itself threatened by famine. During a recent crisis, a hot season marked by heavy rainfall followed by a relentless drought ravaged the fields. “I couldn’t harvest a single sack,” said Dommo Issaka, a desperate farmer from the village of Kankandi. In the space of a few months, millions of people found themselves with empty granaries. In one of the poorest countries in the world, the distress is terrible.
Its strong local roots allow SWISSAID to be among the first aid organizations to anticipate the scale of a food crisis. Very quickly, emergency aid projects are deployed. By tapping into local seed banks, managed for decades alongside farmers, SWISSAID quickly accesses amaranth seeds to distribute to families. They waste no time planting them. Three weeks later, the first amaranth seeds and leaves are already on their plates. Combined with food parcels, they help feed thousands of families in the short term.
Wachsendes Saatgut Nothilfe Niger
The war and hunger
Successful interconnection
In parallel, our long-term projects continue in the communities. The goals: empowering women (which is essential in the fight against hunger), building wells for better field irrigation, and expanding knowledge about local, ancient, and resilient plant varieties such as amaranth, fonio millet, or lablab beans. These varieties are invaluable in helping farmers adapt to climate change. Furthermore, SWISSAID works towards the rapid recovery of markets so that the region’s inhabitants can regain their independence and autonomy as quickly as possible.
This combination of our specialized knowledge in agroecology, our strong network in the country, and the ability to offer populations sustainable prospects perfectly illustrates SWISSAID’s approach. Emergency aid is delivered swiftly while remaining firmly anchored in the long term.
Aid is changing
These humanitarian operations are taking on ever greater importance. Faced with global geopolitical instability and economic crises, the prices of basic commodities bear the full brunt of market volatility.
In the Global South especially, the situation is worsening. Furthermore, extreme weather events are multiplying. What was once considered exceptional is now a new reality. Droughts, intense rainfall, and storms follow one another, destroying harvests and hopes. Added to these difficulties are conflicts and security crises that bring distress and misery.
Swissaid Nothilfe Niger Nicole Stolz im Gespräch mit Bäuerinnen
Nicole Stolz, Head of the Development Cooperation Department, visited the place in Niger where the emergency aid project is taking place. Here, the first sowing of emergency seeds to ward off the predicted famine.
Plus sur notre travail
“Those who are fighting acute hunger, those whose livelihoods are threatened, are not interested in long-term projects, but need help right away,” summarizes Nicole Stolz, Head of Development Cooperation. To achieve a lasting impact in a world plagued by uncertainties, implementing the “Triple Nexus” principle is essential. “This is a combination of rapid humanitarian aid, long-term development cooperation and peacebuilding,” explains Stolz.
SWISSAID focuses exclusively on emergency situations in the countries where it already runs projects. It is strongly rooted there and has the necessary local network. The modalities of emergency aid are defined alongside partners and beneficiaries. It is also together that we strive to overcome the peak of the crises.
