Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 55: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the assistance he is providing to deal with the food crisis in Niger; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27559/10]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is deeply concerned at the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Niger. The country is in the middle of a severe nutrition and food crisis following insufficient and irregular rains in 2009 that caused poor food harvests and water shortages. In Niger, as many as 7.1 million people, representing 48 per cent of the country's population, do not have access to sufficient food. According to the UN, at least 900,000 children are at risk of moderate malnutrition and 378,000 of severe malnutrition over the next 12 months if urgent action is not taken to prevent the consequences of a worsening food crisis caused by drought.

To date in 2010, Ireland has provided €700,000 in humanitarian funding to two of our partners, Concern and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Niger. Concern received funding of €500,000 for a food and nutrition programme targeting children under the age of five and pregnant women in Tahoua region. Funding of €200,000 was directed to MSF for its work in providing medico – nutritional assistance for children under five with acute malnutrition and associated diseases in Zinder region.

The Government will continue to closely monitor the situation in Niger, in co-operation with our partners on the ground including NGOs, the Red Cross and UN agencies.