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.
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.