Appeal supports leprosy-affected families in West Africa

Nafisa Aminou in Danja, Niger, is one of the people affected by leprosy and the food crisis who is being supported by The Leprosy Mission

The Leprosy Mission has launched its first ever emergency appeal in response to the food crisis in West Africa.

The charity warns that the region is facing a "full-scale humanitarian crisis", with people leaving their homes in search of food.

It said that people affected by leprosy were among those "most at risk" in the West African nation of Niger, where the charity funds treatment services at CSL Danja Hospital.

Staff at the hospital have handed out millet to families affected by leprosy but stocks are "dangerously low", the charity said.

The food crisis has been triggered by a poor harvest which caused food prices to skyrocket. Read more