Welthungerhilfe Welcomes Continuation of German Humanitarian Aid in Niger
Jameson Gadzirai, Head of Programs in Niger, is available for interviews in the capital Niamey
Bonn/Berlin, 2 August 2023. Welthungerhilfe (WHH) welcomes the German federal government’s announcement that it will continue providing humanitarian aid to people in need in Niger. Following last week’s military coup, many European countries as well as the European Union have paused co-operation in both the development and security sectors.
“Niger is one of the world’s poorest countries. More than 3.3 million people could suffer from hunger in the coming months. In total, around 4 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance to survive. Families are currently living on supplies left over from last year because the next harvest will not come in until September or October.
Due to the poor security situation in the country and to the effects of climate change, many people have been forced to leave their home villages; they are joined by around 300,000 refugees coming from bordering countries like Nigeria to seek food and shelter as well. Under these circumstances, humanitarian aid is a question of survival.
In addition, we need to support the population in adapting to climate change and build up the resilience of people in the affected regions for the long term. This support can also be provided independently of the government while still strengthening local civil society,” says Jameson Gadzirai, who leads WHH’s program in Niger.
WHH has been active in Niger since 2012, supporting refugees from Nigeria in the south-eastern region of Diffa and primarily domestic refugees in the south-western regions of Tillabéry and Tahoua. It also assists host families whose resources are dwindling. WHH conducts these activities in collaboration with local partner organizations.
Our Head of Programs Jameson Gadzirai is available for interviews in Niamey.
Welthungerhilfe is one of the largest private aid organizations in Germany and has no political or religious affiliations. With courage and determination, Welthungerhilfe has been working towards a world without hunger since its inception on 14 December 1962, during which time it has provided funding of EUR 4.75 billion for more than 11,498 overseas projects in around 72 countries. Welthungerhilfe operates according to the foundational principle of help for self-help, which it implements with measures ranging from rapid disaster relief to rehabilitation to long-term development co-operation projects with national and international partner organisations.
