ECOWAS provides more than 2,800 tons of cereals for Malians in central and northern regions
Bamako, Mali (PANA) - The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), through its regional food security reserve, has provided Mali with 2,856 tons of cereals, including 202 tons of maize and 2,654 tons of white rice for vulnerable populations in the central and northern parts of the country.
The donation was made at a ceremony held Tuesday in the courtyard of the Office of Agricultural Products of Mali (OPAM) in Bamako, according to a PANA report.
Since 2018, in accordance with the management rules defined and accepted by all member countries, ECOWAS has made available to governments that have requested more than 18,000 tons of local cereals purchased from small producers in the West African subregion.
The donation to Mali brings to nearly 21,437 tons of local cereals given to the country in one year, as well as more than seven billion CFA francs for the fight against food insecurity.
"This great initiative of the ECOWAS for vulnerable populations is an act of humanitarian solidarity, completing the efforts of the authorities to mitigate the impact of food insecurity, reduce the suffering of populations whose socio-economic conditions were impacted by the security crisis that Mali has been experiencing since 2012," noted Mayor of Bamako commune II, Cheick Niaré.
The ECOWAS Commissioner, Sékou Sangaré, expressed the hope that "the support will include the supply of enriched meal for pregnant women and malnourished children".
He thanked the technical and financial partners for their multifaceted support for ECOWAS and its member countries in the fight against food insecurity.
The Malian Minister of African Integration, Baber Gano, on behalf of the Malian President, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, thanked the ECOWAS Commission for "this momentum of solidarity with the vulnerable populations of Mali".
According to him, the current global security situation in Mali depends to a large extent on the food security of vulnerable populations in parts of the central and northern parts of the country, where crops have been negatively affected by armed conflicts.
He said this important grain stock is timely, especially at a time when the Malian government is facing a precarious food situation in its central and northern parts.
According to the Office of the Commissioner for Food Security, Mali today has a need for 16,800 tons of cereals for 500,000 people who need food aid.
This national structure dedicated to the management of the food and nutritional situation in Mali, ensures that the 2,856 tons delivered by ECOWAS will be added to the national response plan to fully cover the needs of the people of Mali.
With regards to the lean season announced in August, the Office of the Commissioner assured that provisions are being made at this level, recalling that nearly 8,000 tonnes have already been deployed and distributed in the regions of Mopti and Ségou, in the center of Mali.
-0- PANA GT/BEH/KND/VAO 31July2019
