I have been very concerned by the terrible food crisis in Niger, and have this week spoken to Jan Egeland, the UN's Emergency Relief Co-ordinator, and Jim Morris of the World Food Programme. The UK will now provide a further £1 million to the World Food Programme's emergency operation, in addition to the £2 million we have already committed to the crisis.
This extra £1 million will pay for the World Food Programme to feed 200,000 people for one month. It brings the UK's total pledge to the crisis to £3 million - equivalent to 17.5% of the UN's current appeal.
DFID was one of the first donors to respond to the UN's Flash Appeal issued in May, when we gave £0.5 million to the World Food Programme. Following a DFID assessment mission to Niger, we committed a further £1.5 million to humanitarian agencies providing emergency feeding and medical care.
As part of this support, a DFID funded Save the Children flight will depart for Niger on Wednesday, carrying over 40 tonnes of specialised food for malnourished children.