London - Months of warnings have failed to prevent a serious malnutrition crisis in Niger, according to the London-based charity Save the Children Fund.
The charity says more than six million people are affected there, and about 18 million across West Africa. Save the Children says it is now moving to an emergency response as a rising number of children now need medical treatment for malnutrition and the crisis is reaching an alarming level of seriousness.
Save the Children's warning comes as this weekend's G8 meeting in Chicago, USA, is expected to discuss food security.
Alarm bells have been ringing about Niger - with its record of severe food crises - since late last year after erratic rainfall threatened crop shortages and food prices also soared. Aid organisations have been trying to mitigate the impact but more is needed to address the desperate situation in the region made even worse by tens of thousands of displaced people following the conflict in northern Mali who havge fled thye fighting to seek safety in neighbouring states.
The food crisis in the Sahel region has been brought on by the dry season and has taken hold of eight countries including Chad, Burkino Faso, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, northern Nigeria, northern Cameroon and Senegal, according to UNICEF.
One million children urgently need help in this part of the world, and their story is one that has largely gone untold.
This dire situation could soon deteriorate into a hunger emergency if funds are not forthcoming to address the growing crisis.