The famine has struck everywhere, but the first time it struck me how surreal this all was, was when I came across a little knot of nomadic tribesmen and their families, sheltering under a tree in the midst of the desert.

Three of their children had already died of starvation and they were totally out of food supplies.

The animals upon which they depend for survival were also dying from the effects of the drought.

They were literally sat under this tree in the middle of nowhere, waiting for help to arrive. If we had not got there then there is no doubt that more of them would have died.

You look around and realise that there literally is no food. They were boiling leaves for hours just to stay alive and believe me, I tried them, they do not taste very nice.

We were greeted like saviours but even though they were desperate there was no panic.

They are lovely, humble people who do not jump on you but they just quietly said thank you.

We help by distributing food vouchers to the men for work. Tribesmen who round up their remaining animals are given a fair price even if they are so weak they would not sell at market.

The vouchers can then be exchanged for rice, cooking oils, tea and other essential foodstuffs to keep them alive. The Tauregs (nomads) can survive on tea and camel milk.

Women are given free vouchers to give them and their children a chance to survive. It is a system that really works for the most vulnerable.

About 10%-20% of the population will be too weak to work or, in the case of people like single mothers, will not have the time available to work.

A similar scheme is ongoing in the Gao region of Mali, where Oxfam has been responding to the locust crisis since December 2004, with programmes designed to reach 50,000 people.

What many do not realise is that Niger is a country three times the size of France and that 85% of the people are nomadic.

They are constantly moving so it is very difficult to even find them.

The famine is affecting everyone but it is the farmers and the nomads in the countryside who are particularly hard hit because it is so difficult to get aid to them.

There are tribes of around 70 people who have lost hundreds of their animals and if they do not have animals they have nothing. They are their only means of survival.

You see a lot of children suffering from malnutrition, women unable to breast feed any more and elderly people struggling to just walk. All we can do is try to get to them in time and help them survive as best we can.

When people give to Oxfam they wonder where their money goes but I can assure them that it is being used to save lives here right now.

The next fortnight will be crucial because prolonged rains are needed immediately to water crops and ensure that a harvest is produced in October.

People believe it will rain - their lives depend on it - but you can see the desperation in their eyes.

Their animals have died so they have no means of travelling anywhere.

Ask them what will happen if it doesn't rain and all of them reply that they will die.

Promises of financial aid from developed countries are still not arriving fast enough. We can only do a tiny amount and there is a lot more to be done.

Although the world has waited too long to help these people, it is not too late to save lives.

What is required is a concerted effort before October because the people of Niger will not be able to withstand another failed harvest.

How many times have we said never again, yet here we are again in a truly desperate situation.

The UN launched an emergency flash appeal for Niger for $18.3m in May 2005, but the response by the international community was poor. It remains less than a quarter funded, with a shortfall of $14.7m.

In Niger, Oxfam is implementing two major schemes in the eastern Tahoua, northern Maradi and northern Tillaberi regions of the country.