Plagued by a five-year drought, the Sahelian Zone, which comprises the six West African countries of Mauritania, Mali, Senegal, the Upper Volta, the Niger and Chad, is faced with imminent famine and near extinction of herds vital to the nomad population. Extending over some 3,000 kilometres south of the Sahara, the Sahelian desert consists of a broad belt of arid land running through the six drought-stricken countries. Millions of cattle have already perished, while an estimated third of the six countries' total population of 30 million suffer from hunger and malnutrition. Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim has designated the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as the focal point to concentrate all relief efforts of the United Nations systems in assisting the disaster-stricken areas.
Touareg men and Fulani-speaking women gather around the food distribution centre at Tahoua, Niger, to wait for their daily ration of milk power or sorghum.