NIAMEY — The United Nations announced Friday a further 15 million dollars aid for Niger, where more than half the population in the west African Sahel country faces starvation.
The sum of some 11.8 million euros will allow the World Food Programme “to halt the deterioration of the food and nutrition situation” in Niger, a UN statement said.
Niger is currently suffering from a serious food shortage resulting from a major shortfall in the harvest after a prolonged drought.
According to the United Nations, more than seven million people — over half the population — are at risk of starvation, out of a total of some 10 million in the west African Sahel countries.
At the start of August the WFP launched an urgent operation with the Niger government and other humanitarian organisations, with the aim of reaching over 7.8 million people in 2010.
This year the UN said Niger had received 35 million dollars in aid.
