Germany Pledges 2.4 Million Dollars against Hunger in West Africa

Germany is to contribute 2.4 million dollars to an initiative to fight hunger in West Africa, the United Nations' food agency said on Thursday. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which comprises 15 countries, will also finance the initiative, the Rome-based FAO said in a statement, without giving precise figures about ECOWAS' commitment. The money will help countries in the region implement a programme devised by the African Union to boost agricultural production, dpa quoted FAO as saying. The UN agency said that the number of hungry people had fallen in several ECOWAS nations until 2006-2008, but progress has "slowed since," following the 2008 food price crisis and severe droughts in the Sahel region earlier this year