providing an average of about 90 million euros ($109 million) a year in grants of both emergency and development aid. The former colonial power, France, is the second biggest contributor. "You can't accuse us of doing nothing," said EU spokesman Boubacar Soumare. "We regularly contribute each year to the emergency food stocks ... If everyone did the same as we do, then we wouldn't need emergency aid." Soumare said the EU had signed a deal two weeks ago to provide 2.5 million euros in food assistance for Niger in 2005, alongside a 1 million euro contribution to the U.N. World Food Programme, which is more than doubling aid to Niger. A further 3.5 million euros is slated by the EU for food aid in 2006, but aid workers fear that unless donors adopt far more ambitious targets, then many lives will be lost. MSF is mounting a major feeding operation to save thousands of malnourished children from dying, but says its clinics may soon be overwhelmed as hunger worsens in July and August, when rains encourage malaria and diarrhoea. Few other relief agencies have started work in Niger, while Paris-based MSF says subsidised food provided by the government and U.N. World Food Programme is only reaching a fraction of the needy, and many cannot afford it. MSF says that unless donors distribute free food aid now -- changing the current policy of selling it at below-market prices or lending it for later repayment -- death rates could rocket. Arab states have offered help to Niger, where virtually the entire population is Muslim. The government says Libya sent 300 tonnes of aid including mineral water while Saudi Arabia sent 100 tonnes of dates.
