NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania — The West African country of Mauritania is one of the world’s least developed countries. Nearly 30 percent of the country’s population suffers from food insecurity.
Food insecurity occurs when a country does not have reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable or nutritious food. Conditions are so poor in Mauritania that many families are forced to sell or slaughter their livestock, further impairing their capacity to endure the challenges which accompany the changing seasons.
According to the Human Development Index, Mauritania ranks on the very low end of the development scale, currently residing at 155 out of 187. In 2011, the situation worsened. Horrific droughts devastated the country. At the same time, tens of thousands of Malians were forced to flee their homes, many seeking refuge in Mauritania and putting even more strain on the country’s resources.
In 2012, one-third of the population, or close to 700,000 people, were estimated to go hungry. Other studies estimate the number is much higher – closer to one million.
The southern part of Mauritania may be green, but the region produces very little in the way of crops. The local populations of the southern regions of Brakna, Gorgo, Assaba, Tagant and Guidimaka are all experiencing a “lean season.”
Individuals in the southern region already face great adversity in the small villages where they live. People in the southern region in particular lack access to water, arable land, firewood and electricity.
In a good year, farmers only produce enough food to last over a five-month period. Smaller farms produce even less. Insects and birds are a nuisance, often eating the few successful crops that do exist.
The problem with the food shortage and hunger in Mauritania is that it is cyclical–farmers are unable to catch up from the previous year, never capable of getting ahead for a sustainable business. The country imports 70 percent of the grains they use every year.
The World Food Program (WFP) is working to support the vulnerable population of Mauritania through cash assistance. This allows families to afford food without sacrificing their own livestock and source of income.
Before receiving the cash, individuals are required to partake in training sessions on various subjects including family nutrition and hand-washing. Implementing such educational programs help to prevent illness and disease and work to decrease malnutrition.
The WFP works with local non-government organizations which play a strategic role in monitoring activities such as education programs. Local organizations are also an asset to the WFP in tracking areas of success and identifying regions needing improvement, allowing them to constantly evaluate the best allocation of resources. This method also gives the villages a sense of involvement – a sense of power to overcome the challenges their people are facing. Promoting a positive relationship between the WFP and the local population creates an atmosphere of trust and paves the way for permanent change.
In an interview with the World Food Program, 32-year-old Fatamatou explained how the cash assistance from the WFP was crucial to her family’s survival, stating, “We would have had to sell some of our goats to buy food and I would have been in an even worse situation this year.”
In addition, the WFP is stocking villages with food reserves to ensure villagers have access to food at a subsidized rate if needed. Subsidizing the food reserves is a system that is used when food prices are particularly high due to crop shortages.
Villagers are encouraged to stay near their homes to heighten the opportunity for the success of agriculture projects that are implemented to increase food production. This allows neighbors to work together on sustainable practices and use effective buffers to prevent their crops from dying or being eaten by insects and birds.
The problem with hunger in Mauritania does not need a temporary solution. Practices to ensure long-term sustainability and increased agricultural development will be necessary for Mauritania to move itself beyond its current food insecurity crisis. Luckily with the help of the WFP, the country has made great strides toward progress.
– Caroline Logan
Sources: World Food Programme 1, World Food Programme 2, Action Against Hunger
Photo: Save the Children