EU govts 'must help avert West Africa drought'
3 June 2010
More must be done to end the food crisis in West
Africa affecting more than ten million people, Oxfam has
stated.
The charity welcomed a new €24 million - £20 million
- European Commission aid package for Niger and other nations
in the Sahel region announced yesterday on 2 June, but urged
governments and donors to do more to avert the drought.
According to Oxfam, the government of Niger has requested €146
million from the international community and has so far received
just over half - 52 per cent - of this sum.
Meanwhile, two million people are also facing food shortages in
Chad.
Mamadou Biteye, Head of Oxfam's humanitarian response in West
Africa, called the sum from the commission "an important
contribution".
"But with ten million people in urgent need of assistance across
several countries, EU governments must follow suit if they are
serious about avoiding a disastrous loss of life across the Sahel
region."
Oxfam has injected $4.5 million - £3 million - into its
humanitarian operation in the Sahel region, which also includes
nations such as Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Senegal and Nigeria.
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