'We Have Been Eating Leaves,' Say Niger People

[sintax]

'We have been eating leaves,' say Niger people

By Kim Sengupta in Guidamonji, Niger

Published: 11 August 2005


What little food they had ran out a long time ago and if they were "looking well fed" as their president has said, it was on leaves and plants. But yesterday the dispossessed of Guidamonji were the first to benefit from the start of the long-awaited UN aid distribution in Niger.

Hundreds had trudged for dozens of miles under a baking sun to get to the relief centre at Dukukuneye, to wait patiently for their first real sustenance in more than three months.

Twenty-four hours earlier, Mamadou Tandja, the ruler of Niger, said all this talk of mass starvation was just "foreign propaganda ... deception to obtain increased funding" by the United Nations and aid agencies. What problems there are, he added, "are not serious".

Abadi Kokari, the 62-year-old village chief, shook his head. "I am sure the problems are not serious in the President's mansion. But it is a bit different for us here in the bush. Perhaps the President would like to come and have dinner with us here?" he said with a laugh. "I am an old man and have never seen a blight this bad for 50 years. We have been living like animals. We have been eating leaves from the trees. People have had poisoned plants and they have died.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/africa/article305138.ece

[journalist3072]

1. Meanwhile, the President of Niger is in denial....

He is denying that there is a major food crisis, saying it is propoganda and the people of Niger "look well fed."

On my blog, I talk about how he and Bush both refuse to live in the reality-based community.

http://progressiveminds.bloghi.com/2005/08/10/tandja-and-bush-we-have-something-in-common.html

[Carolab]

2. Jesus. This is horrifying.

Is there some organization set up to help them?

[quiet.american]

3. Damn. How do we save the world? n/t

[Gelliebeans]

4. This is absolutely horrific