Ramadan began this week for Muslims around the world. Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is a month of fasting from dawn to sunset. This fasting, or refraining from eating or drinking, is meant to teach Muslims about humility, patience, and spirituality. The breaking of the fast, also known as Iftar, is an important part of Ramadan; every night, families gather to eat, visit, and pray.
However, In some Sahelian countries, this year's feasts may be cut short due to the 2010 Sahel Food Crisis. Frequent food shortages have troubled the Sahel, an area south of the Sahara desert which includes Burkina Faso, Chad, Eritrea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sudan. Niger is said to be hit the hardest by the poor rains at the end of 2009 and failed harvests. 7.1 million Nigeriens -almost half the country's population- now face moderate to severe food insecurity. This food crisis comes at a time when the vast majority of Nigeriens, as well as Africans all across the Sahel, are celebrating Ramadan. When Ramadan ends on the 9th of September, the daily hunger felt by these Africans may persist.
The United Nations World Food Programme and other, more local grassroots organizations are working to alleviate some of the hunger in Niger and other parts of the Sahel. There is even a group of Boston University students and alumni who have created a fund raising effort, called Niger Food Relief, to provide financial support to food-aid groups in Niger, such as the Nomad Foundation. Hopefully these efforts will be effective and improve the quality of life for those living in the Sahel. As Ramadan helps Muslims appreciate their daily food and water, may the plight of the victims of the Sahel Food Crisis help us appreciate ours as well.
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