UN Bid to Aid Niger Yields 'Not a Single Dollar'
Date: 03-Jun-05
Country: WORLD
"To date, not a single dollar has been pledged to the flash appeal," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said.
The effort, launched May 19, sought $16.2 million from governments to help feed 3.6 million people in need of aid after a locust infestation and recurring drought in the western African country.
Among the needy are 800,000 children under age 5, including 150,000 who suffer from severe malnutrition.
"A silent crisis is looming in Niger," the UN office said last month. "All indicators point towards increased poverty due to population increases, desertification, locust infestations and rain shortfalls."
Niger, with a population of about 12 million and an average life expectancy of 46 years, ranks as one of the world's least developed, lowest-income countries.
Niger's government has a mechanism to combat food crises, but its available stocks and funds already have been used to meet current needs, the UN office said.
