Brussels, 23/11/2010 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission is allocating a further €20 million in humanitarian aid to the Sahel, thus doubling its emergency aid to this region of Africa where the humanitarian crisis is growing worse.
The news was announced on Monday 22 November by Kristalina Georgieva, European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response. The additional €20 million allocated during the period between two harvests allowed many lives to be saved this summer (EUROPE 10199). “However, in view of the worrying evolution of the situation, it is crucial that we step up our response to save people who are still at risk”, the commissioner said.
In addition to the erratic rainfall and bad harvests of 2009, there were endemic diseases such as measles, malaria, cholera and meningitis, making the population still more vulnerable.
The situation continues to be the most critical in Niger. Out of the 10 million people currently threatened by food supply shortages in the Sahel, over 7 million are to be found in this country. Three million of them, considered to be suffering from acute food insecurity, require emergency aid. (A.N./transl.jl)