News releases

Joint US/UN News Release/NIAMEY– The combined effects of conflict, climate shocks, and high food prices continues to drive hunger up and push basic meals out of the reach of millions in Niger, demanding immediate and collective action, United States Ambassador to the UN Agencies in Rome Cindy McCain told journalists at the end of their week-long, U.S.- sponsored field visit to Zinder, Dosso and Tillaberi regions.

NIAMEY – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is providing life-saving food assistance to an increasing number of vulnerable people affected by population displacements in Niger, thanks to EUR 11 million provided by the European Union’s Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO). The funding has allowed WFP to meet the needs of 584,500 food-insecure people in Niger through cash and food assistance in 2022.

ROME – Further food ration cuts are imminent for refugees as humanitarian needs multiply around the world while funding struggles to keep pace, warns the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) on World Refugee Day. The somber warning comes as WFP has already been forced to significantly reduce rations to refugees across its operations.

ROME – The UN World Food Programme will host an online press briefing on Monday on the need for a coordinated and strong international response to the looming global food crisis.

DAKAR – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today warned that its UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) – that provides crucial transport links for humanitarian responders to the world’s most remote and challenging locations - will be forced to ground its planes in Guinea and Niger by August 2022 if additional funding of US$ 6.4 million is not urgently provided. This situation risks cutting off crisis-affected communities from life-saving aid at a time of unprecedented humanitarian needs.

ROME: Four United Nations agencies today announced the forthcoming launch of a new phase of a joint programme that aims to secure rural women’s livelihoods, rights and resilience to advance sustainable development.

ROME – A timely US$ 3.5 million contribution from the European Union has helped the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) transport thousands of aid workers to several hard-to-reach locations across West and Central Africa, the World Food Programme said today.

Abuja, Nigeria – Extreme poverty in Western Africa increased by nearly 3 percent last year, according to a new report on the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 published today by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

DAKAR - As conflicts and rising food prices continue to weaken the food security situation in the Western and Central African region, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a euros 8.4 million contribution from France aiming to respond to the emergency food and nutrition needs of vulnerable populations in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal.

Niamey — The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today welcomes a US$ 7 million contribution by the Government of Japan to provide food and nutrition support to more than 83,000 people in Niger’s crisis-affected regions of Diffa, Maradi, Tahoua and Tillabery.

DAKAR – Millions of families in West and Central Africa are growing more hungry and desperate by the day as food prices skyrocket – stoking a widening hunger emergency in a region engulfed by conflict and the socioeconomic fallout from COVID-19, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned today, noting that immediate action is required to prevent a catastrophe.

NIAMEY – A €4.5 million (US$5.5 million) contribution from the European Union has enabled the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to provide vital support to extremely vulnerable people in four areas of Niger which are reeling from multiple shocks, including climate change, conflict and the socio-economic impact of COVID-19.

DAKAR/ROME – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is today warning that unless humanitarian access is urgently granted to organizations like the WFP, catastrophic levels of hunger could hit hard in parts of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. The stark warning comes ahead of the High-Level Ministerial Conference on the Central Sahel in Copenhagen on 20 October 2020.

BERLIN – As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread into countries already dealing with the impacts of drought, economic crises and conflict, the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has provided USD 5.9 million to ensure that the UN World Food Programme (WFP) can continue to protect 1.2 million vulnerable African farmers with climate risk insurance.

The World Food Programme in Niger welcomes an additional €24 million contribution from Germany to scale-up resilience building at a time when Niger is facing the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 health pandemic on food security and nutrition of vulnerable rural and urban families.

YOKOHAMA – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed a total of US$11.7 million in funding from the Government of Japan to provide vital food and nutrition assistance to the vulnerable populations in the Central Sahel affected by escalating armed conflict and severe impacts of climate change.

NIAMEY – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed a €3.2 million (US$3.5m) contribution from the European Union, which will help provide lifesaving assistance to the most vulnerable people affected by hunger and violence in Niger.

DAKAR, 03 February 2020 - The number of people facing a critical lack of food and vital livelihood opportunities in the Central Sahel has spiked in one year due to rising insecurity and climatic shocks. The situation may further deteriorate unless the international community acts now, three United Nations agencies warned today.

OUAGADOUGOU – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today warned of an escalating humanitarian crisis driven by widespread violence and the long-term impact of climate change that has gripped Burkina Faso and neighbouring countries in the Central Sahel region of West Africa. WFP said the humanitarian response needed to be rapidly escalated to protect and save lives in Burkina Faso and the wider region.

NIAMEY – A generous contribution of €4 million from the European Commission (ECHO) and the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) allowed the United Nations World Food Programme to provide food assistance and nutrition support to displaced and vulnerable people in the Diffa, Tahoua and Tillabery regions of Niger in 2018.

In visit to Niger, FAO, IFAD and WFP chiefs stress need to build people's resilience to shocks.

Focus includes tackling poverty, building resilience to shocks and addressing migration 15-18 August 2018.

5 million people in need of food assistance and 1.6 million children at risk of severe acute malnutrition, 2.5 million pastoralists and agro-pastoralists require urgent livelihoods assistance

Niamey – U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Food for Peace Office just announced a generous 37 million USD in-kind donation to the UN World Food Programme (WFP) in Niger.

NIAMEY – The European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) and the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) have contributed EUR 10.7 million to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in order to provide vital food assistance for some 755,000 people in Niger.