Lenihan to increase aid for Niger

IRELAND: The Government is expected to announce further assistance for Niger when it receives a report on its food crisis from the chairman of the Irish Red Cross, David Andrews, next week.

Minister of State Conor Lenihan has already allocated €2 million to the emergency, in which 3.6 million people are at risk of famine.

Mr Lenihan yesterday rejected criticism from Labour and Sinn Féin of Ireland's approach to the crisis in Niger.

Senator Derek McDowell (Labour) accused the Government of taking "a reactionary approach" to crises. "Increasing aid as a stock response to famine is grossly inadequate. The Irish Government should be proactive, seeking to address the underlying causes of famine, before the next crisis occurs."

Cllr Killian Forde (Sinn Féin) claimed Mr Lenihan ignored at least four requests from the World Food Programme (WFP) for funding in Niger over the past 10 months.

Two of the requests were made when Ireland was on the WFP's executive board, he said.

However, a spokesman for Mr Lenihan said the UN regularly launched appeals and "all donor countries select countries on which to concentrate". Six out of seven of Ireland's priority countries were in sub-Saharan Africa, so most of our aid went to "the poorest people in the poorest countries". Ireland does not tie or earmark its aid to the WFP for specific purposes, so the organisation is free to use these funds wherever it wishes.