Sahelian Zone Ravaged by Severe Drought

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.
The emaciated arms and hands of a Peul woman affected by the drought at Tahoua, Niger. [c. 1973]