Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-09-08-Speech-4-134"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20050908.18.4-134"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spoken text |
".
Mr President, I should like to start by quoting the words of James Morris of the World Food Programme. He said, 'Niger has sent us a message in the whimpers of children too malnourished to cry for help'. He also said, 'Sadly, the spotlight has already shifted and donations have again dried up.' That is the problem. 2.7 million people in Niger are in urgent need of food aid. There is growing concern that, while food aid distribution continues across the worst affected parts of the country, financial support for emergency operations is tailing off. In the second half of August the WFP only received two donations. Funding for its emergency operation is still under 50% and $29.6 million are still needed to deliver the aid required.
A food crisis is complex. Weather patterns, food production, markets, technologies, sanitation, health care, education and child-rearing practices have all played their role. Last year's drought coupled with the invasion of locusts, followed by drought this year, have combined with an increase in food prices, which have tripled in rural areas and doubled in cities, partly as a result of demand from neighbouring countries such as Nigeria.
We share the view of the MSF, which has been critical of the slow response, first by the Government of Niger and then by the UN. The WFP only expects to deliver food rations to 110 000 people, 10% of the worst-affected area's 1.2 million. The concern is that the food distribution is not reaching those in the greatest need, especially children under five, and the food being distributed is not appropriate for the young children and infants who are the main victims of this current epidemic.
We are concerned, too, that the crisis will spread to the other countries in the region. The wider Sahel and northern areas of Mali are already suffering and in Burkina Faso farmers have already lost up to 90% of their harvest and are having to sell their cattle to raise money for basic foods. We need urgent action and we need it now."@en1
|
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples