Norway provides additional NOK 8 million in emergency relief for Niger

“The situation in Niger is extremely dramatic, and it is vital to get help to the hard-hit population as quickly as possible,” said State Secretary Leiv Lunde.

Today the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has allocated an additional NOK 8 million in emergency relief in connection with the famine in Niger. The Ministry has now provided a total of NOK 31.5 million for emergency relief efforts in Niger.

So far the Norwegian funds have been used for relief efforts led by UNICEF, the World Food Programme (WFP) and CARE International. The additional funds will be used to support the WFP and Norwegian organisations, mainly in the form of food relief and funding to cover the associated transportation costs.

Other countries in West Africa are also severely affected by famine as a result of drought and last year’s locust invasion. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is following developments closely and will assess the need for additional funds to support relief efforts in the region.