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CERF allocated $14 million to humanitarian agencies to fight food insecurity in Niger

Countries
Niger
Sources
OCHA
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18 May 2010: More than $5 million will go to the World Food Programme (WFP) to improve the nutritional status and reinforce livelihoods of 250,000 vulnerable populations, and to augment support logistics. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) will receive $4.3 million for emergency nutrition service for 60,000 children and WASH assistance for 42,000 people. Another $4.2 million has been allocated to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for emergency assistance to rehabilitate sustainable livelihoods of 640,000 vulnerable pastoralist people. Finally, the World Health Organization (WHO) will receive $530,000 for emergency nutrition intervention for 20,000 children.

Food production deficits occur cyclically in Niger. Natural disasters are common and are a contributing factor to the vulnerability and food insecurity of households. Many Nigerian families are living on the brink of severe food insecurity and a relatively minor shock can result in widespread food shortages. In 2010, the Ministry of Agricultures final crop assessment results indicate a cereal deficit of more than 400,000 tons.

A June 2009 UNICEF/WFP/Government Nutrition Survey found that global acute malnutrition (GAM) had reached 12.3 percent nationally. Less than half of the population (41 percent) have access to essential health services, one in five children dies before reaching 5 years of age, 40 percent of children under 5 suffer from chronic malnutrition even in "normal" years. In Diffa and Zinder, malnutrition rates are in excess of WHO established emergency thresholds with respective GAM at 17.4 percent and 15.4 percent. It is likely that acute malnutrition will further deteriorate in other parts of the country.

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.