RT.com
19 Sep 2023, 05:13 GMT+10
Medical supplies bound for the West African country are stranded due to border closures imposed by a regional bloc, a health ministry official has said
Niger is facing a critical shortage of medicines as a result of sanctions imposed by the West African regional authority, ECOWAS, in response to a coup in July, RIA Novosti reported on Monday, citing a Ministry of Health official.
Ibrahim Sule, secretary general of the African country's health ministry, told RIA that Niger is running low on antibiotics, as well as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease treatment drugs.
"Pharmaceutical products destined for Niger are delayed at the port of Cotonou [in Benin] or at the border, and more than 60 blocked containers have been found there... worth about 4 billion CFA francs [$1.6 million]," the outlet quotes Sule as saying.
The military government in Niger has been under Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) sanctions since soldiers of the presidential guard deposed President Emmanuel Bazoum on July 26.
The regional bloc restricted financial transactions and closed entry into the uranium-rich nation from its other member states to pressure the coup plotters to restore democratic order.
Last month, thousands of trucks carrying food bound for the West African country were reported to have been stranded for weeks at the Malanville crossing in northern Benin due to border closures.
The United Nations food agency, the World Food Programme (WFP), had previously warned that the blockade was "greatly" affecting the supply of "vital" foods and medical supplies into Niger.
Djaounsede Madjiangar, the West African regional spokesperson for the WFP, claimed that about 6,000 tonnes of goods from the agency, including food for malnourished children, were stuck outside the capital Niamey.
In an interview with RIA published on Monday, the Nigerien health ministry secretary general claimed that ECOWAS sanctions against Niger violated World Trade Organization treaties.
"We condemn the position of ECOWAS, since no political situation has ever led to such harsh sanctions against humanitarian products," Sule said.
He said that since the beginning of the crisis, the military rulers have been studying the possibility of redirecting supply channels and are negotiating with the governments of "friendly" countries such as Burkina Faso, Guinea, Algeria, and Türkiye.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Kenya Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Kenya Star.
More InformationAs it did last year, the 2023 United Nations General Assembly has been debating what role the United Nations and ...
(Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports) The Toronto Argonauts plan to start backup quarterback Cameron Dukes on Friday night when ...
Luanda, Angola - An American soldier who illegally crossed into North Korea in July arrived back in the United States ...
The failure of the comedian's show in Bengaluru, known as the ?Silicon Valley of India?, has exposed the city's crippled ...
Yaounde, Cameroon - Gabon's prime minister says international sanctions and pressure for a return to constitutional order could be devastating ...
JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN - Environmental experts are ringing alarm bells, saying decades-long climate and environmental changes in Sudan have exacerbated ...
LAHAINA, Hawaii: This week, officials are expected to begin lifting restrictions on entry to the burn zone in Lahaina, Hawaii, ...
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan - Army Chief General Asim Munir met with members of Pakistan's Christian community on Monday, emphasizing the importance ...
DUBLIN, Ireland - Experts believe the world's next pandemic is already on its way, and they fear it will kill ...
GAINESVILLE, Florida: Local police report stopping children, ages 10 and 11, who had driven their family car 200 miles, in ...
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani stated on Saturday that Pakistan's decision to establish relations with Israel ...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Speaking to reporters in New York on September 22, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said if Russian ...