Niger's ruling military government is appealing for urgent assistance from the international community to help feed its people.
More than half of the country's population of 15 million are facing food shortages due to prolonged drought and crop failure and three million people are on the brink of starvation.
In the first of Al Jazeera's special series on Niger's drought crisis, Alan Fisher reports from Abala in the north of the country, where rain has come too late to save the region's animals.