after their vehicles broke down, dozens of people, almost all of
them women and children, slowly died of thirst.
The migrants had been trying to reach Algeria, Azaoua
Mahaman of the Synergie nongovernmental organization, said
Thursday.
Instead, they died of dehydration, unable to escape the sandy
wastes of the Sahel.
When found, many of the bodies were severely decomposed and
appeared to have been partially eaten by animals.
The travelers were hoping to find a better life for themselves in
Algeria, trying to escape the extreme poverty and economic
hardships in Niger, said Mahaman.
Their story is the latest tragedy to befall migrants trying to leave
behind a woeful existence for opportunities elsewhere.
Others who have survived the arduous journey from sub-
Saharan Africa to the continent's northern shores have drowned
as they tried to cross the Mediterranean in overcrowded boats to
enter Europe.
For many of Niger's 16 million or so people, life is not easy.
The population is one of the fastest growing in the world but the
large, landlocked country is prone to political instability and
natural disasters, according to the World Bank.
Droughts, floods and locust infestation all contribute to the
country's chronic food insecurity -- and the poverty rate is one
of the highest in the world.
The World Bank puts the annual per capita income at just $360
and the country lies second from bottom in the U.N.'s Human
Development Index.
Political instability and conflict in Mali, Nigeria and Libya have
done little to help Niger, sending tens of thousands of refugees
over its borders and forcing some citizens who'd traveled
elsewhere for work to return home.
Via: Cnn
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