It is the third drought to hit the West African region in less than ten years.

More than 10 million people were affected by the previous drought in 2010, mostly in Niger and Chad. This year, the UN says up to 19 million people are at risk of going hungry.

That's because of a poor harvest, rising food prices and the conflict in Mali, which is forcing thousands of people from their homes.

Al Jazeera's Laura Kyle reports from Burkina Faso.