Saturday, March 10, 2012

13 Million At Risk Of Severe Food Crisis in Niger

13 Million At Risk Of Severe Food Crisis In Drought-Hit Sahel Region

(RTTNews) - Currently, food aid bought locally is 15 to 20 percent cheaper than on the international market but with high prices and uncertainty of supply, the costs of supplying food will be much higher than it was in the 2010 food crisis. The aid group also said that the conflict in Northern Mali has forced 160,000 to flee their homes with more than half of them escaping to neighboring countries of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mauritania. Violence in Nigeria has also caused a drop in the volume of grains entering Niger and Chad.

Oxfam said that with the next harvests not due until October, a concerted aid effort is needed. The U.N. has estimated that $724 million is needed to address current needs, an amount that could rise as the crisis progresses. While some rich countries have started to donate, and the European Union in particular donating generously and early, over a half of the amount is still needed.

by RTT Staff Writer

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