[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 105 (Thursday, July 28, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S9277]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN NIGER

  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I rise to express my deep concern about 
the unnecessary suffering that is occurring in the African country of 
Niger. Last year's severe drought and locust infestation destroyed most 
of Niger's harvest and the fodder necessary for keeping livestock. As a 
result, an estimated 3.6 million people including 800,000 children 
under the age of 5--are now facing starvation. Aid workers in the field 
describe the situation as desperate, and report that children are dying 
daily and families have turned to a diet of acacia leaves and grass.
  I urge the administration to continue to respond and to work with 
other donors to ensure Niger's humanitarian needs are met. In 
particular, it is crucial that USAID make certain the recently 
announced $7 million in additional emergency funds go immediately 
towards alleviating the hunger in the hardest hit areas: the agro-
pastoral regions of Maradi and Tillaberi and the pastoral regions of 
Tahoua and Zinder. Reportedly, there is a shortage of therapeutic 
feeding centers and clinics, and weakened villagers cannot manage the 
travel required to reach them.
  We also need to address long-term food security issues in the Sahel, 
where drought and famine regularly afflict these poorest nations. 
Earlier this year I traveled to three of Niger's neighbors--Algeria, 
Mali, and Chad. I heard firsthand accounts of how devastating the 
locust crisis was, and I heard a consensus regarding the need for 
permanent mechanisms to facilitate crisis response and to prevent 
emergencies in the future. As the tragedy in Niger demonstrates, even 
when governments, international organizations, and NGOs are able to 
anticipate food insecurity almost a year in advance and implement their 
assistance programs, we can still have a crisis. Unfortunately, it 
sometimes takes media coverage of already emaciated children to jolt 
donor countries into emergency action. We need to remain alert and 
responsive to World Food Program appeals for extra funding before the 
starvation begins, and we need to stay committed to long-term efforts 
to improve food security throughout the region.

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