Annan visits Niger to raise focus on food crisis

Dalatou Mamane, Zinder

Mr Annan is making the two-day trip to focus attention on the combined effects of a devastating drought and locust invasion that have struck a swath of north-west Africa and left more than five million people facing severe shortages.

Mr Annan was welcomed at Zinder airport by President Mamadou Tandja, who has played down the crisis and accused the UN, aid groups and opposition parties of exaggerating his country's problems for political and economic gain.

Mr Tandja said earlier this month that his people "look well-fed" despite images and stories of skeletal, malnourished babies that have streamed out of the impoverished nation for weeks.

The secretary-general is expected to visit Zinder's main hospital, tour a feeding centre and speak to officials and humanitarian workers before leaving for the capital, Niamey, 460 miles to the west. An estimated 3.6 million people are facing severe food shortages in Niger alone. The UN says at least 1.6 million people in neighbouring countries Mali, Burkina Faso and Mauritania are also affected.

In a statement on the eve of Mr Annan's visit, the French charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said the UN "was slow to react to the current epidemic of acute malnutrition in Niger, and its response continues to be inadequate".

UN officials could not immediately be reached for comment, but the world body issued largely ignored appeals for aid as far back as November and top UN humanitarian chief Jan Egeland has said children in Niger were dying because the world community ignored them.

Earlier this month, UN agencies increased their appeals for a total of $75 million (E61m) for Niger. The UN World Food Programme more than tripled the amount of emergency aid it's seeking from $16m six months ago to $57.6m (E47m) now.

MSF said UN food distributions were "not reaching those with the greatest needs, especially children under five years of age in the worst-affected areas".

It urged Mr Annan "to ensure that UN agencies like the World Food Programme and UNICEF distribute aid according to the real needs of people".

MSF also said the crisis appeared to be deepening in some areas of the country.

In one area, MSF had admitted 1,053 children between August 8-14, compared with 403 in July.

Mr Annan, who was recently visiting his native Ghana, wants to show his solidarity with the government and the people of Niger as they deal with the aftermath of prolonged drought, locust infestations and accelerating desertification, the UN said in a statement ahead.