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Saturday, January 28, 2012

NEPAD, AU seeks support to address food insecurity in Niger, Sahel


The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) in partnership with the African Union (AU) has called for support in order to fight food insecurity in Niger Republic and the Sahel countries.
This was contained in a communique made available to NaijaAgroNet by NEPAD.
The Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union Commission (AUC) Mrs. Rhoda Peace Tumusiime and NEPAD's CEO Dr Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, urged the international community for an urgent support to Niger and the Sahelian countries.
NaijaAgroNet gathered that the request for support is of great importance as the 2011/2012 agriculture season has been characterized by an erratic and a short fall in most Sahelian countries.
The two international bodies also called for the effective implementation of solidarity mechanisms provided for at regional level to support existing efforts.
International communities were also called on to motivate development partners to better coordinate their efforts on the basis of the needs identified at national levels in the affected regions.
The support according to NEPAD is an effort to promote food security as a significant decline was recorded in cereal and grass production in the region compared to the previous year with a higher deficit in Niger.
NaijaAgroNet, recalls that over half of the population of Niger is affected with the erratic and rainfall shortage, the more reason to act fast as people in their millions are living in a critical vulnerability and also in need of assistance.
ECOWAS and Permanent Interstate Committee for drought control in the Sahel will also be joining hands with AUC and NEPAD Agency in mobilizing additional resources for national initiatives that aim to address food security in the affected region.

'Yinka Awosanya/LS
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