Christian Aid has released emergency funds as drought and poor harvests threaten Niger with a “severe” food emergency”.

The aid agency warned that as many as eight million people, including one million children, could be left critically malnourished by the food shortage, brought on by the cyclical drought and irregular rainfalls that ruined harvests in 2009.

Jeremie Ouangrawa, Christian Aid’s country manager for Niger and Burkino Faso said the aid agency had released £100,000 to three partner organisations working in the north of Niger.

“These funds will provide food for the most vulnerable women and children in the coming months, support to cereal banks and food distribution, and will also help to set up cash-for-work programmes to enable families to buy cereals and grains in the markets,” he said.

“Imported food from Nigeria is readily available in the markets, but sadly it is far too expensive for most families to afford.”

The release of funds follows a recent appeal from UN humanitarian chief John Holmes for urgent international action to address the growing emergency in the Eastern Sahel region.

There are reports of families abandoning their homes to come to the capital Niamey in search of food. Water levels are also becoming scarce and animals are dying, compounding the widespread malnutrition.

Ouangrawa said many schools were being abandoned, with some areas experiencing a 20 per cent decrease in attendance.

He said: “The vast majority of Niger farmers fear that they will not have seeds to plant before the next harvest in October.”