Niger: UN agency announces new round of food aid for 1.7 million hungry

With some 3 million people still facing a food crisis in Niger following drought and locust infestations, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today announced a second round of distributions targeting the neediest across the impoverished West African country.

“While we’ve already made a real impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of desperate people, our work continues,” Niger Country Director Gian Carlo Cirri said in

Niamey, the capital. “As the first round of distributions moves into its final phase, we are set to provide a second batch of food to those in greatest need.”

In the second round, starting on Sunday in Maradi, epicentre of the crisis, WFP is targeting the 1.7 million people considered most vulnerable with a ration of cereals and pulses. This assistance is intended to help them through to the harvest, which is still several weeks away in most areas, when they should once more become largely self-sufficient.

WFP is making good progress on completing its first round, having reached more than 1.2 million out of its target of 1.8 million people. Distributions carried out by the government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) – Plan International and Catholic Relief Services – aim to reach the balance of those in need, a further 1.2 million people.

“We are in a better position than ever before to provide the poorest of the poor with what they need and to begin to address the structural, chronic issue of poverty in Niger,” Mr. Cirri said.

"The world must not turn away from Niger in search of the next disaster – if we do not commit ourselves to Niger for the long term, we will find ourselves back in the same position all too soon,” he added.

When he visited the country last month, Secretary-General Kofi Annan called on the international community to provide immediate help to save hundreds of lives every day. “A food crisis of this scope is unacceptable in the 21st century,” he said.

“Tragically, young children continue to die,” WFP said in its news release today. Conditions have deteriorated as the rains have persisted, bringing the increased threat of diseases such as malaria, cholera and diarrhoea.

“Dangerously unclean water, a lack of primary health care, pregnancy at an extremely young age and the abrupt weaning of babies off breast milk all play a part in the rapid descent into illness and malnutrition.”