Waiting patiently, gazing at the sky, for the first rains to arrive continues to be a crucial task, not a hobby, in any society that is predominantly agricultural and animal husbandry. The rains mark the beginning of the cycle, a time when hopes are renewed. In the Sahel belt, for several years now, the arrival of the warm and humid breeze that heralds the first downpours has also become a cause for concern.
Climate change is altering the rainfall pattern and causing crop failures when rains are late, pastures yellowing prematurely when they are scarce, and catastrophes when they are concentrated.
At this time, storms sweep the region from east to west and cause more and more floods with a heavy impact on the population. Last week, Caritas Niger shared with us the first images of the Maradi region and the official figures (as of July 21) are: 17 dead, 24 injured, 3,584 houses collapsed, about 31,000 seriously affected people, 513 cattle dragged to due to the waters, 135 granaries damaged and more than 6 tons of food lost.
raise your head and looking at the sky becomes more and more distressing. Caritas has already left so that the waters do not wash away the illusions.
The Caritas Internationalis working group for the Sahel (GTCIS), in his final statement after the annual working meeting, he reminds us of the importance of addressing the structural causes of hunger, the most serious of which are armed conflicts and climate change.
The preparation, adaptation and development of contingency plans are essential, but if global action to mitigate climate change continues to be postponed, local effort will not be enough regain the lost balance.
Photo: Caritas Nigeria
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