El Hadj Ali Mago has his own definition of happiness: To see his family, his tribe and his cattle thrive and not having to move from place-to-place find enough grassland for the cattle.
This year his chances of happiness are slim. Here, at the edge of the Sahara desert in Niger, the rainy season stopped some weeks ago. There should be new, tall and green grass, the cattle — the foundation of both wealth and health here — should be in peak condition.
But the grass is almost non-existent, only little patches of short, yellow straws are scattered in the sand. And the ribs on the cattle are seen clearly.
“We may have to move,” Ali Mago explains.
Large parts of the Sahel Region, the semi-dry area just below Sahara, are threatened this year, according to the UN.
Drought and famine are familiar crisis to Ali Mago and the other inhabitants of Niger.
They are used to adapting to the climate. But in last few years it has changed and millions are now on the move.
