Niger needs US $159,660 for homeless thousands

Niger needs at least US $159,660 dollars to care for thousands of people made homeless by heavy rain so far this year, the country’s disaster early warning office said in a release faxed to IRIN on Thursday. The money will go toward buying items ranging from anti-malarial drugs to mats and food, Niger’s System d’alerte precoce (Early Warning System) said. It said 4,156 persons had been affected by rain-induced floods which killed two people, injured three, destroyed 332 homes and swamped more than 1800 ha of farmland in 30 villages. The affected areas are in the southern departments of Maradi and Dosso, east of the capital, Niamey. The rains are heaviest from June to September in the generally arid Sahelian country which - like neighbouring Chad and Nigeria - was also hit by floods last year.