The African nation of Niger is once again facing a food crisis.

Famine has struck the region three times in the last 26 years.

Rainfall has been estimated to have been about 70 percent below normal last year, resulting in crop failures for farmers across the struggling nation.

Officials have estimated that roughly half of the country's exploding population of more than 15 million people are facing a food shortage.

However, Operation Blessing International is helping to bring relief to the area. The charity aid organization has been building food banks and stocking them with whole grain.

Today, OB has 17 seed banks located in northwest villages near the capital of Niamey. The international charity has also directly helped to feed more than 22,000 villagers.

Operation Blessing has partnered with the Hosannah Institute of Sahel so that villagers can keep the seed banks stocked to meet the growing need for food. Both organizations want to build additional food banks for the villagers.

Find out how you can help Operation Blessing.

*Originally published July 23, 2010.