The European Commission has allocated an extra €10 million in humanitarian aid for vulnerable children in Niger. The aim is to reduce child malnutrition and mortality. Since the beginning of this year, more than 150,000 children in Niger have been admitted to nutritional centres, many of which are supported by the Commission’s aid. The aid is also being used to improve access to primary health care for young children and their mothers, and to help the poorest families regain their food self-sufficiency, for example through distributing seeds to families who visit nutrition centres. A recent culling of chickens due to an outbreak of avian flu has contributed to the food shortage. The €10 million in aid comes on top of €8.3 million of humanitarian assistance the Commission has granted to Niger since the start of the food crisis in 2005.
The Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel, said ‘Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, and this decision is a concrete expression of our solidarity towards children there who have little to eat. But if we are to achieve the goal of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, we must do more than help children suffering from malnutrition today. Through our ongoing development work in Niger, the Commission is supporting the people of Niger to achieve food security to prevent children from suffering in the future.’
Niger is home to an estimated half a million malnourished children under five years old, of whom more than ten percent are severely malnourished. The food shortage in 2005 has left especially poor families heavily indebted at a time when the price of food in local markets is very high. This means that the most vulnerable cannot access food. The Commission’s humanitarian aid responds to these immediate life threatening circumstances. All funds are channelled through the Commission’s Humanitarian Aid department, ECHO, under the responsibility of Commissioner Louis Michel.
Niger has suffered from recurrent malnutrition with consequent high infant mortality for years. In order to help prevent these crises from happening again, the humanitarian aid will be followed closely by support to help families grow their own food, through the 9th European Development Fund (EDF). In the long run, food security has been identified as a priority objective for the 10th EDF (2008-2013).
Avian flu adds to the problems
Many of the poorest families in Niger were dependent on poultry as a source of protein and revenue. A recent outbreak of avian influenza in Niger resulted in a massive culling of chickens for which families were not compensated, causing additional hardship for the households concerned.
For further information: