Mali/Niger: ICRC calls for €10 million to avert a humanitarian crisis
28-02-2012 News FootageRef. V F CR-F-01116
On 27 February 2012, the International Committee of the Red Cross launches an appeal for an additional CHF 12.3 million (EUR 10 million) to help avert a major humanitarian crisis in the Sahel region.
Footage available from the ICRC Video Newsroom (www.icrcnewsroom.org)
TV news footage transmitted on Eurovision News 28.02.12
For more information, please contact Nicola Fell, ICRC, Geneva, e-mail
Geneva (ICRC) - On 27 February, the International Committee of the Red Cross launches an appeal for an additional CHF 12.3 million (EUR 10 million) to help avert a major humanitarian crisis in the Sahel region.
Boris Michel, the ICRC's Head of Operations for Northern and Western Africa says: “In Mali and Niger, we face a double situation with renewed insurgencies and fighting in northern Mali where thousands of people have had to flee and a food crisis affecting the whole Sahel belt where people lack food, have lost their crops and cattle has no fodder to survive on."
Fierce fighting in northern Mali has so far displaced over 60,000 within the country. A further 23,000 have fled to neighbouring Niger. While some people have been taken in by host families, the vast majority are in makeshift shelters, desperately short of food, having fled with nothing.
Intercommunal clashes in the area have continued since 2008. A proliferation of weapons has also created a climate of fear, pushing some farmers to abandon their fields and rural markets to become deserted. Furthermore, Mali and Niger have been hard hit by recurrent droughts, soil degradation, and a poor rainy season. This combination of factors is pushing parts of both countries into a severe food shortage.
Michel explains action is needed now to avert a major humanitarian crisis: "The ICRC appeals for an additional €10 million to provide food, cash, seed and fodder to those people in need in the middle of the food crisis." The ICRC wants to distribute food and other urgently needed supplies to the people affected by violence in northern Mali. The organization would also continue to provide medical attention to the wounded, check the condition and treatment of detainees and give them the opportunity to write messages to their families.
The extra funds could provide a lifeline to around 700,000 people.
SOUNDBITE: Boris Michel, Head of Operations for Northern and Western Africa, ICRC (in English)
0:00 “In Mali and Niger we face a double situation. The first one is linked to renewed insurgencies and fighting in Northern Mali where thousands of people had to flee and the second is linked to a food crisis that is affecting the whole Sahel belt where people are lacking food, have lost their crops because of a lack of rain and where cattle has no fodder to survive.
0:28 The ICRC will appeal for an additional amount of 12.3 million Swiss francs, which is about 10 million euro. With this money we would like to provide food, cash, seed and fodder to those people in need in the middle of the food crisis.
0:49 With regard to the people affected by violence, the ICRC would like to distribute food, seed, cash and fodder for livestock, but ICRC would like to also reach wounded people and assist detainees in their places of detention.
01:08 We have to act now because we would like to avert a major humanitarian crisis in the region.”
Date: July 2011
Location: Ouallam and Filingué (North Tillabéri, Republic of the Niger)
Production: Germain Mwehu / Daddy Rabiou Oumarou / Didier Revol
Footage: Abdoulatif Mohamed / Souleymane Mahamadou Hamidou Editing: MSA Niamey / Louis Mouchet
SHOTLIST
Tizegorou village
01:13 Panoramic shot of village
01:17 Woman walking carrying buckets of water
01:21 Man digging dry soil
Arné village
01:28 Woman in traditional dress fixing a bag onto the back of a donkey
01:32 Herder and bony cattle
01:35 Man milking a cow
01:40 Bony cattle
01:43 Two men drawing water and taking it to the cows
01:53 Cows drinking water
Tizegorou village
02:03 ICRC vehicle arriving in Tizegorou
02:09 Niger Red Cross volunteer explaining to the villagers what they will receive
02:11 Close-ups of beneficiaries (3 shots)
02:17 Distribution centre
02:22 Red Cross volunteer taking a fingerprint for the distribution register
02:27 Men taking bags of grain
02:35 Women
02:39 Various of men registering at distribution centre
02:54 Man carrying bag on shoulders
02:59 END
For details on the ICRC's activities in Mali and Niger, please visit the page of the ICRC delegation in Niamey
For further information, please contact:
Germain Mwehu, ICRC Niamey, tel: +227 97 45 43 82
Steven Anderson, ICRC Geneva, tel: +41 22 730 20 11 or +41 79 536 92 50