Niamey -Niger — Niger has received a cheque of 200 million Franc CFA from the ECOWAS Commission in support of victims of devastating floods which have killed many, affected over 500, 000 people and damaged farms and other properties.

On behalf of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, His Excellency Desire Kadre Ouedraogo, the cheque was presented by the ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Gender, Dr. Adrienne Diop, to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Niger, Mr. Bazoum Mohamed, at a brief ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs complex in Niamey, the country's capital on 21st September 2012.

Dr. Diop said the donation, which she described a symbolic, was in solidarity with the government and people of Niger and a demonstration of the organization's readiness to Community citizens in times of crisis. According to her, ECOWAS' concerns and interventions are not limited to resolving crisis borne out of armed conflicts alone but also to addressing crisis situations arising from natural disasters.

In response, Mr. Mohamed expressed appreciation to ECOWAS on behalf of the government and people of Niger, lauding the solidarity of the people of West Africa on the plight of the flood victims. The floods in Niger this year have been described as the worst in more than 80 years, coming after the drought which hit the country earlier this year, affecting some 5.5 million persons.

The ECOWAS Humanitarian Policy mandates the Commission to assist Member States to deal with the consequences of crises, including natural catastrophes. On 13th September 2012 in Dakar, the Commission made a similar donation to the Government and people of Senegal.