That is an important point because we know that there was a freeze on bilateral direct aid. Moneys had been committed prior to Mali. We're running up to the end of the budget year. We'd want more clarity from the government on that so we could understand how much has been committed and how much was coming out of money tagged for Mali.
I want to touch on the way in which aid can be provided. One concern we've had on this side is that our capacity has been lessened in Africa, and in this region. Recently, there was some confusion with the government on whether we had closed our embassy, our desk, our office, in Niger. The bottom line—and they'll get their stories straight at some point—is that we do not have the same capacity in the region.
Mr. Fried, what does that mean in terms of your being able to deliver to the people on the ground? As mentioned, this is a regional issue. This was a major food crisis before this most recent conflict. If we have more capacity in the region, what does it allow us to do? Conversely, when we take capacity away, what challenges do we face in helping people on the ground?