World Food Program to Rescue Price Hike Victims in Niger

The World Food Program (WFP) is “considering the possibilities of diversifying its intervention in Niger in order to bring the better assistance to the most affected communities, following the price hike of staple foods and oil”, the local representative of the WFP, Jeff Taft - Dick, said.

In an address during the 40th anniversary of the presence of the WFP in Niger, he said that the actions of his organization will also “help small producers and local farmers in developing a new policy of purchases on local markets”.

The activities carried out by the WFP in collaboration with the Niger government allowed for achieving “real progress” during the past 40 years, he stated.

WFP has carried out various activities in Niger, including “emergency operations, country programs, and more recently, prolonged emergency and recovery interventions”, Mr. Taft-Dick said.

In Niger, WFP’s activities cover three main areas in connection to education, rural development and nutritional health.

“Currently, WFP’s country program is endowed with a 48 million dollar budget and 67,000 tons of provisions, while the prolonged emergency and recovery program amounts to 45 million dollars with a 50,000 tons of provisions”, the WFP representative said.

These two operations annually target two million beneficiaries and all the activities are coordinated and executed in close collaboration with the government of Niger.

Mr. Taft-Dick also urged then Niger authorities to “keep on working jointly to bring the necessary assistance to the most vulnerable communities”.

In early 2008, over 11,000 displaced people benefited from free distribution of about 568 tons of provisions as well as complete daily food intakes for 90 days in the region of Agadez (north), affected by the rebellion led by the Movement of Niger Nationals for Justice (MNJ).

Source African Press Agency

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