Egypt joins international effort to assist the impoverished people of Niger

"We are grateful to the government and people of Egypt for their timely donation to our work in Niger," said WFP Niger Country Director, Gian Carlo Cirri. "Last year's food crisis has left many people facing more difficult times, but it is thanks to donations such as these that WFP has been able to mount a timely and effective response.

"It is particularly heartening to receive a donation from a country such as Egypt that has benefited from WFP assistance in the past and is now not only funding our operations within their borders, but also elsewhere in the world,"

Cirri said.

The Egyptian government donated 115 metric tons of rice, worth US$ 29,000, to WFP's operation in Niger, which is being distributed in the northern desert region of Agadez, as stock to village cereal banks.

Cereal banks play a crucial role in allowing rural communities continued access to affordable food at times when market prices spiral beyond the reach of many poor families. This is especially true right now, as Niger enters the annual 'lean season', when household food stocks have been exhausted and villagers rely on food purchases to cover the gap. The next harvest is still at least three months away for most people.

Since the start of the year, WFP has dispatched over 15,000 tons of food to more than 1.1 million people in Niger in a bid to help people recover properly from the devastating effects of last year's food crisis. Nearly 700,000 of these have received food through nutritional centres established to prevent young children falling into life-threatening stages of malnutrition.

The Egyptian government has been a regular donor to WFP activities within Egypt for many years, contributing US$1.69 million since 2001.