Coronavirus: Japan provides 4,000 tons of rice to Mali in response to Covid-19 pandemic

Bamako, Mali (PANA) - Japan has provided Mali 4,237 tons of rice, worth more than one billion CFA francs, as part of its food assistance, said a joint statement issued on Tuesday by the Malian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Japanese embassy in Mali.

It said 1,000 tons of rice will be distributed free of charge to the poorest sections of the population in the central and northern Mali,  to support the government in the implementation of its response plan against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ministry welcomed this decision by the Government of Japan, saying it will contribute to the actions of the Malian state in the fight against food insecurity,  aggravated by the coronavirus pandemic.
-0- PANA GT/JSG/MTA/AR 6May2020