Red Cross Boosts Food Relief to Mali, Niger

The International Committee of the Red Cross aims to reach some 100,000 people at severe risk of hunger in Niger and Mali, tripling its relief as food shortage threatens close to 9 million people due to poor harvest, the South African Press Association reports.

ICRC is raising food relief funds of USD22 million as officials estimated that some 250,000 people in northern Mali and 8 million in Niger faced moderate to severe food shortage. The World Food Program had earlier announced that it would also increase food aid to Niger.