At least 548,000 people face food insecurity in Mali
Bamako, Mali (PANA) – About 548,000 people, or 2.35% of the Malian population face food insecurity and need relief assistance for survival between July and August 2019, Prime Minister Boubou Cissé said on Thursday at the opening of the national food security council meeting.
According to the Prime Minister, 24,285 are in an emergency stage and need immediate and complete response.
He said that 3,244,417 people, or 16.71% of the population, are in a moderate food insecurity situation and require resilience support action.
Regretting that the government pays for food stocks and transport every year, he said in most cases supplies do not leave Bamako.
Boubou Cissé has proposed that local non-governmental organisations in the regions be recruited to distribute the food, instead of the Bamako-based NGOs, which have no idea of where the food must be delivered.
Although the 2018-2019 agricultural campaign is successful across the country, with more than 10 million tonnes of cereals harvested, Mali needs assistance to meet shortfalls in periods of famine.
-0- PANA GT/JSG/MSA/AR 24May 2019
