ReliefWeb

New York (United Nations), July 05 - Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Morocco to the UN, Mohamed Bennouna called on Monday the United Nations to ship an emergency aid to Niger, which is facing starvation.
In a letter to UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, Bennouna said the kingdom of Morocco hopes the UN will spare no efforts to help the brotherly country of Niger to meet the needs of a large part of its population that is facing starvation and diseases.

After the dire drought that befell Niger and its dangerous impact on its food situation, HM king Mohammed VI gave instructions to ship an emergency food aid to Niamey and to set a field hospital with 20 physicians and several other paramedical staff to assist Niger authorities in emergency on-the-terrain operations.

Niger ambassador in Rabat, Diori Hamani-Ramatou told the Moroccan TV channel '2M' on Monday that over three million people are facing starvation in Niger due to the combined effects of drought and desert locust plague.

The situation in Niger is "very alarming", she said calling on the international community for an emergency food aid.

She assured the international community that the President of Niger personally monitors food aids distribution and that a committee was set up for this specific operation.