Context
For decades, the Republic of the Niger has been affected by recurring natural disasters and political conflicts. Niger’s agricultural sector is blighted by significant climate variability, accompanied not only by increasingly frequent periods of drought and floods, but also by plagues of locusts and pest infestations. The result is frequent food crises and chronic food insecurity. Climate change and the global increase in the price of grain will exacerbate the situation. These issues could also affect the stability of the country.
To counteract the increasing occurrence of acute food crises, the Niger Government established a coordination body known as the Dispositif National de Prévention et de Gestion des Crises Alimentaires (national facility for the prevention and management of food crises) in 1998. It is now supported by 13 international donors.
Objective
The national facility for the prevention and management of food crises and disasters, the Dispositif National, is sustainably strengthened with regard to its structure and functions.
Approach
The Niger Government has enshrined food security in the country’s constitution and developed national strategies and programmes. The main tasks of the Dispositif National include systematically monitoring the needs of the Niger people, developing preventative plans, building and managing food reserves and carrying out food security measures in crisis situations.
GIZ advises the project on technical, strategic and policy issues relating to food security, including monitoring and evaluation.
In close consultation with twelve other international donors, the German Government also provides financial support to the Dispositif National. Among other things, funds are used to purchase grain to replenish the grain reserves each year.
Results achieved so far
Since 2009, the Federal Republic of Germany has provided approximately EUR 9 million for the purchase of grains and seeds. During this period of increasingly acute food crises, six out of ten households have required food aid which they received via the Dispositif National’s joint fund.
Reforms and measures to improve structures have significantly enhanced the performance of the Dispositif National. Thanks to better monitoring and the development of a database, the Niger Government is able to make decisions on a more informed and timely basis.
The Niger Government has extended the mandate of the Dispositif National to include more wide-ranging disaster measures. Additional actors have also been incorporated into the process.
Thanks to the successful work of the project, national and international partners, as well as the people of Niger themselves, now have greater confidence in the Dispositif National.