VZCZCXRO3681
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHNM #0086/01 0330656
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 020656Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY NIAMEY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5602
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR PRIORITY 0002
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NIAMEY 000086 
 
DEPT FOR AF, AF/EX, AF/RSA, AF/W, AND AF/PDPA 
DEPT PLS PASS TO USAID/AFR 
DAKAR FOR OFDA DRL, FFP, AND AF/W 
ACCRA FOR USAID/WA 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID EAGR SENV ECON PREL PGOV US NG
SUBJECT: Niger:  Niger Disaster Response Resource Request 
 
Ref: a) 09 Niamey 0813, b) 09 Niamey 0862, c) 09 Niamey 0948, d) 09 
Niamey 0964, e) Niamey 0032 
 
¶1. (U) This is an action message - see para 13. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Summary:  After Embassy Niamey's Disaster Declaration on 
January 14 (ref d), post requests urgent and serious consideration 
of increasing response resources for Niger due to imminent food 
insecurity.  The newly released vulnerability assessment indicates 
alarming levels of food insecurity throughout the country.  The GON 
proposed plan of response is aggressive but insufficient and will 
challenge the international community to meet the minimal needs 
proposed.  The USG has responded early, but significant additional 
needs are required.  End summary. 
 
Background of an Emerging Food Shortage 
--------------------------------------- 
¶3. (SBU) This message requests urgent and serious consideration for 
USG resources to respond to the currently unfolding food security 
disaster in Niger.  A review of reftels from October 09 through the 
USG mission Declaration of Disaster on January 10 details the 
evolution of this critical situation.  USAID's Famine Early Warning 
System (FEWS-NET) reported on January 4 that in Niger, major food 
and non-food assistance is needed urgently to improve the food 
security in affected cropping areas until the next harvest in 
September 2010. 
 
Results of Household Food Security Vulnerability Survey 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
¶4. (SBU) The GON released the results of the National Household Food 
Security Vulnerability Assessment to a donors group on January 25 
and the NGOs on January 26.  Summaries have already appeared on the 
wire services and have been reported on the BBC and Radio France 
International.  The assessment depicts a very bleak assessment of 
the national food security situation as of mid-December: 
 
-- 66% of households reported a bad harvest; 
 
-- The average food availability in the households in Niger is 2.8 
months versus 5.4 months last year; 
 
-- 400,300 households or 2.7 million people have less than 10 days' 
stock of food.  20% of the population is therefore in a state of 
severe food insecurity; 
 
-- 5,100,000 or 38.2% are declared moderately food insecure; 
 
-- Only 9.1% of the population is considered food secure as of 
mid-December; 
 
-- There is already a clear reduction in daily food intake by 
reducing meal size or eliminating meals altogether; 
 
-- Of the 24 million MT of dry material needed for forage for 2.7 
million pastoralists, only 30% is available; 
 
-- The regions with the greatest percent of severely food insecure 
are Tahoua at 33.9%, Diffa at 32%, and Zinder at 22.3%; and 
 
-- With respect to the 36 departments of Niger, severe vulnerability 
ranges from 62.2% in Abalak to only 11 departments where the extent 
of severe food insecurity is under 10%. 
 
Mission Comment on Food Insecurity Realities 
-------------------------------------------- 
¶5. (SBU) Considering that the GON has shown every indication of 
denial, concealment, or minimization of the severity of the food 
security problem this year, the dissemination of this report is 
quite a remarkable event.  Although the assessment only examined 
food availability, there is general consensus that the situation is 
worse than that depicted in the report.  Every indication is that 
the harvest is as bad as or worse than that of 2004, which led to 
the last crises in 2005.  Embassy Niamey Food for Peace Officer 
estimates that Niger probably is lacking the availability of 
approximately 1 million metric tons of cereals needed to feed its 
population an average of 600 grams a day (a little more than a 1 
lb., 4 oz.).  Migration is accelerating; according to UNICEF 
partners, malnutrition rates are starting to climb.  End mission 
comment. 
 
GON Plan of Response 
-------------------- 
¶6. (SBU) The GON Food Security Crises Unit has developed a plan of 
response.  The initial focus of the response is on 3.5 million 
persons in the zones considered vulnerable.  The GON reports $13.26 
million and $3.46 million anticipated from the EU and Spain, 
 
NIAMEY 00000086  002 OF 002 
 
 
respectively, for a total of $16.72 million currently available for 
response.  This figure also includes cereal stocks of 105,910 MT. 
 
Mission Comment on GON Plan of Response 
--------------------------------------- 
¶7. (SBU) It is unclear where this estimate of 3.5 million requiring 
assistance came from and which zones are declared vulnerable, and, 
more importantly, which are not considered vulnerable because all 
zones have identified vulnerable populations.  Most of the GON 
cereal stock was purchased inside of Niger, and hence does not 
materially increase the national stock or reduce the production 
deficit.  Mission believes that the number requiring material 
assistance is considerably higher and is closer to the 7 million 
figure than that of 3.5 million.  The 3.5 million in need was the 
number used last year when the harvest was 2 million MT greater than 
this year.  End comment. 
 
GON Cash for Work Projects 
-------------------------- 
¶8. (SBU) The GON response is built around an approach of large-scale 
cash for work projects to reach 30% of the vulnerable households 
budgeted at $33.77 million; the replenishment and creation of 1,903 
cereal banks to provide millet at a below-market price at a budgeted 
cost of $63 million; and the sale of subsidized grain, food for crop 
production, seed distribution, reconstitution of the national stock, 
procurement of fodder, and nutritional support for malnourished 
children, pregnant and lactating mothers, and other malnourished 
persons.  The total cost for all proposed interventions is estimated 
to be $226 million, of which $165 million needs to resourced. 
 
USG Response to Date 
-------------------- 
¶9. (SBU) To date, the USG has responded early and appropriately. 
FFP has signed a transfer agreement with WFP for $12 million for 
9,240 MT of mixed commodities to help meet the needs of 1.9 million 
food insecure beneficiaries and allocated $3m for similar 
commodities for partner NGOs.  OFDA has committed $4.9 million to 
disaster risk reduction activities in Niger. 
 
Mission Comment on GON Assistance Requests 
------------------------------------------ 
¶10. (SBU) Post believes that the GON Plan of Response represents the 
GON's Declaration of Emergency and request for international 
assistance.  This is reflected in the actions and words of GON 
officials from the Prime Minister on down.  Post believes the GON 
request to be extremely modest in face of the problem that is 
outlined in the Vulnerability Assessment, reporting from FEWS-NET, 
and our own and partner observations of the situation.  Niger is 
facing a crisis equal to or worse than that of 2004-2005; 
specifically, if one were to estimate a current cereal production 
deficit of one million MT from the national cereal requirement, this 
would represent a loss to producers of an estimated $450 million, 
with a significantly higher import cost. 
 
¶11. (SBU) The buying power of half the Nigerian population is 
markedly less at present, with wages between $1.00 and $2.00 per day 
for those who can find work at all.  There are considerable unknowns 
involved, but it is clear that the people of Niger need a response 
far in excess of that proposed and the current plan of the 
collective international community to respond.  WFP locally is 
considering the possibility of adding another 710,000 beneficiaries 
to the existing Protracted Relief and Recovery Operations (PRRO) for 
nutrition and general population support.  This would add another 
30,000 MT to the PRRO, which is not yet fully subscribed.  Even this 
is small given the evident need. 
 
¶12. (SBU) Embassy Niamey does not intend to suggest targets for OFDA 
and FFP.  In response to the Ambassador's January 15 disaster 
declaration, post hopes that OFDA can release Disaster Response 
funds to address significant needs that are emanating from 
widespread food insecurity in a situation that is possibly one of 
the worst in the last 38 years.  Likewise, we need to alert FFP that 
planning for this response needs to immediate and bold.  We urge 
this in order to save lives and avoid a far more expensive response 
later in the year that could require the presence of a DART and 
airlift.  End mission comment. 
 
¶13. (SBU) Action requested:  Embassy Niamey requests that USAID 
continue to keep mission advised of issues and concerns as well the 
evolving plan to respond. 
 
¶14. (U) Thank you for assistance. 
 
WHITAKER