Following the 5th of July 2021 request of the Government of Niger for food support, the ECOWAS Commission officially handed over 7,598 tons of food grains and 205 enriched flours to the Government of Niger this 11th September 2021 in Dosso to help the Government face the difficult food situation of the most vulnerable households.

The food grains which comprise maize, millet, and sorghum, were taken from the stocks of the ECOWAS Regional Food Security Reserve stored in the warehouses of the Office des Produits Vivriers du Niger (OPVN) in Birnikoni, Dosso, Maradi and Zinder. The enriched flours were ordered and purchased directly from companies in the region that can supply the Regional Reserve with quality nutritional products.

According to the commitment of the Government of Niger and considering the operating rules of the Regional Food Security Reserve, the stock of 7,598 tons of food grains, which was handed over by Mr. Sékou Sangaré, ECOWAS Commissioner for Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources to Mr. Laouali Chaibou, Chief of staff to the Prime Minister of Niger, will be replenished "grain for grain" by the Government of Niger to enable the Regional Reserve to maintain its permanent intervention capacity in assisting any Member State requesting for food support.

Enriched flours are a gift donated by the ECOWAS Commission for the neediest ill-fed children of the country.

While receiving the food grains, the Chief of staff expressed Niger's gratitude to the ECOWAS Commission for the regional solidarity and reassured all stakeholders that this support is timely and that, it will help strengthen the intervention capacity of the national food security system. Specifically, the stock will serve to alleviate the emergency food needs of over 631,930 people, which represents about 75,599 households for one month of food assistance.

This intervention of the Regional Food Security Reserve falls within the operationalization of the "ECOWAS of the Peoples". It is the third intervention for the benefit of vulnerable populations-

in Niger following the ones in 2018 and 2020 with respectively 6, 528 and 473 tons of food grains.

To recall, the latest assessment of the food and nutrition situation of the Harmonized Framework (Cadre Harmonisé) for 2020-2021 indicates that starting from June 2021 onwards, more than 2,343,837 people will need food assistance to face the lean season.

Established on February 28th, 2013, in Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire, by the Authority of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, the Regional Food Security Reserve aims to complement the efforts of Member States to provide rapid and diversified food and nutrition assistance to the populations in need.