Warning as hunger trebles in Mali over one year
The number of Malians facing hunger has tripled since last year, and hunger is now at its highest level since Mali’s security crisis began in 2012, says a coalition of 22 humanitarian organisations.
Rising insecurity, droughts, and the socio-economic impact of coronavirus have plunged 1.2 million people into a food crisis this year, according to the Humanitarian Working Group of the International NGOs Forum in Mali (Fongim).
Only half the money needed for food security responses in 2017 was actually secured, and this has dropped to a quarter in 2021, Fongim’s members say.
Drought has hit the country hard and is affecting more than 3 million people mainly in Mopti, Ségou and Timbuktu in central and northern Mali.
Staple foods like corn and rice are unaffordable for many families, having been driven up 22% in some areas. Last week, the transitional government halted exports of many local agricultural products to prevent a food shortage.
A decade of conflicts has also weakened people’s livelihoods, the humanitarian groups say, adding that they must adapt their responses to the ongoing crisis to avoid rising hunger in Mali in coming years.
