Niger famine - People dying as squabbles rumble on

THE president of Niger, the world’s second-poorest country, denies claims of famine in his country.

But as John O’Shea of Goal succinctly put it, its malnourished people do not have the luxury of debating the finer points of whether this is a famine or not - they are dying quietly in the villages.

With characteristic honesty, Mr O’Shea points the finger of blame for this humanitarian tragedy directly at the UN. It is hard to disagree with his claim that Niger represents yet another shocking indictment of the UN’s inability to cope with the needs of vulnerable populations.

Meanwhile, the pledge by Overseas Aid Minister Conor Lenihan of another €1 million for the starving people of Niger deserves to be welcomed, such as it is.

In the realm of overseas aid, however, there should be no question of the generous Irish public having to take up the slack for the Government.