French-German teams of Malteser International in cooperation with local helpers have refilled the stock of a so-called cereal bank in Koria Haoussa, in the region of Tillabéri located about 70 km northwest of the capital Niamey: To safeguard the food supply for the next weeks Malteser International has distributed about 28,500 kilograms of maize corn. Out of that stock the village elders pass 20 kilograms to each family. This supply enables the people to bypass the period up to the next harvest. After the harvest each family pay back 10 kilogram to the village cereal bank. These cereals are stocked up to the next food shortage when they are going to be distributed again.

Malteser International and village elders of the 15 villages already established administrative committees to organize the distribution and repayment of the maize. The cereal bank in Koria Haoussa feeds approximately 10,000 people.
In Niger Malteser International cooperates with OHFOM (Oeuvres Hospitalières de lOrdre de Malta), the relief service of the French association of the Order of Malta. Since several years OHFOM has already been supporting projects to offer health care in Niger and continuously supplies health centre in these villages with pharmaceuticals.