Islamic Relief fights hunger in Mali and Niger
Teams from Islamic Relief's Mali office were amongst the first to reach some of the worst affected regions in Niger and Northern Mali .
An Islamic Relief office has been set up in Niamey , the capital of Niger which will work with the Mali office to tackle the food crisis.
Reaching Over 1 Million People
Islamic Relief (IR) has already pledged an initial 1.4 million Euros to the emergency, and is working in partnership with other NGOs and institutions which have contributed over 1.2 million Euros so far.
Emergency Food Aid
- In Niger , IR staff distributed 10 tonnes of emergency food aid in the Ouallam district. This distribution covered 3 villages, reaching over 5000 people .
- IR is working with the UN WFP to implement a Blanket Feeding Programme, distributing food packs across all of the critically affected areas. Each 130kg pack contains enough rice, pulses and cooking oil to last a family for one month.
- Monthly food distributions are planned to target the most vulnerable including children, women and the elderly in Tillaberi, Tahoua and Ouallam districts in Niger .
- In Mali , 95 tonnes of food have already been distributed to families across the Gourma Rharous region in northern Mali .
Emergency Nutrition
- IR is establishing 30 Supplementary and Therapeutic Feeding Centres across four districts, Tillaberi, Ouallam, Filingue and Tera in Niger .
- Supplementary Feeding Centres help moderately malnourished patients and refer severe cases to Therapeutic Feeding Centres where more intensive care is provided.
- UNICEF has donated 6 tonnes of food for IR's feeding centres.
Medical Aid
- IR is providing medical equipment to the main hospital in Tillaberi which is one of the worst affected areas in Niger .
- IR will provide free medical aid for the most vulnerable people in the Tillaberi region, who would otherwise be unable to afford healthcare.
- A Mobile Nutritional Monitoring Team will visit local villages and health centres around Tillaberi to monitor diseases and nutrition and to refer severe cases to the hospital. The team will work closely with the Ministry of Health.