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Who is borrowing - the debtors?

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The Jubilee Campaign website profiles all of the countries that are current indebted. It classifies them according to where they are in terms of having their debt reduced or cancelled. Some of the lowest income countries have had their debts cancelled as part of the highly indebted poorest countries (HIPC) initiative, whilst others are currently taking part in or about to join this initiative.



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2005 Niger famine

Niger is one of the poorest countries on the planet (168 out of 170 on the HDI), yet has substantial foreign debt. Watch the following video and reflect on the impact on domestic economy of large repayments of international debt. Examine the case of the 2005 famine in Niger and consider whether this was a natural, or man-made, disaster caused by the structural adjustment programmes forced on Niger by the IMF and World Bank, worsened by internal corruption and ineffective government.

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You may also wish to investigate the case of debt in Niger further using GapMinder and reading the following articles:

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Prepare a 500 to 1000 word report providing the background to Niger, the 2005 famine and its causes, the role of the World Bank and the IMF in Niger and concluding with an analysis of the present economic situation prevailing in the country.