CERF allocates $6.3 million to improve the nutritional status and reinforce livelihoods of vulnerable populations in Niger
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| A health facilitator shows how to wash hands properly with a soap [Photo: UNICEF] |
2 September 2009: CERF has allocated $2.6 million to improve the nutritional status and reinforce livelihoods of vulnerable populations due to flooding in Niger.
Some $760,000 will support the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to ensure availability of and access to quality treatment for severe acute malnutrition for 3,500 children under five. It will also enable UNICEF to respond to cholera outbreak by providing safe drinking water, ensuring treatment and disinfection of polluted water points, and conducting hygiene education for utilization of safe drinking water.
Some $1.8 million will enable the World Food Programme (WFP) to procure and deliver 1,464 mt of food to 51,870 children aged 6 to 35 months in Diffa and 45,981 malnourished children under five and mothers in Diffa and Zinder.
On 24 September, CERF allocated $170,000 to the World Health Organization (WHO) for critical public health interventions for flood-affected populations.
On 7 October, CERF made another allocation of $2.2 million to WFP for emergency food assistance to flood-affected populations in Agadez region. CERF allocated $700,000 to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) to assist flood-affected farmers in the same region. On 8 October, UNICEF received another $600,000 for emergency assistance to Agadez.
[Last Update: 9 October 2008]
CERF allocates over $1.2 million for meningitis outbreak in Niger
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| A child at a health center in Niger [Photo: IRIN] |
19 March 2009: Niger is located in the centre of the African meningitis belt. The hot, dry climate is favourable for the development of meningitis epidemics between October and June.
The last major meningitis outbreak dates back to 2000 and since then Niger has not experienced any large scale meningitis epidemics. As a result, several localities have not benefited from mass immunisation against meningitis. As the at-risk population in Niger has increased and given the current trend of meningitis, Niger is at high risk for a large scale epidemic in 2009.
Nearly 1.5 million doses are needed to cover the gap between available stock of vaccinations and the population at-risk. CERF funding will be used by the World Health Organization (WHO) to purchase the necessary inputs to immunise 725,000 people and treat 8,500 new cases in order to save human lives.
[Last Update: 19 March 2009]
CERF allocates $189,000 for securty telecommunications in Niger
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| A panoramic view across a town in Niger [Photo: IRIN] |
6 February 2009: For decades, Niger has faced significant challenges with regard to the development of infrastructure over a vast geographical area. In addition, a rebellion in the north of the country has also had adverse consequences on the security situation. These two factors, amongst several others, have led to a situation where many locations in Niger are without reliable telecommunications services. The lack of appropriate communications poses a serious threat to humanitarian response.
CERF is providing funds to the World Food Programme (WFP), service provider of last resort for security telecommunications, to strengthen and expand common security telecommunications services.
[Last Update: 9 February 2009]