Three-month food ration distribution complete

Mauritania's Food Security Commission has complete distribution of three-month rations to flood victims in the Brakna and Gogal wilayas (administrative zones), USAID said in its Famine Early Warning System (FEWS) bulletin of 31 March. "These distributions bring to an end the emergency programme," it says. WFP told IRIN on Monday it had distributed 8,925 mt of cereal, vegetables and oil to 204,915 drought stricken victims in the wilayas (administrative zones) of Brakna, Gorgol, Assaba, Hodh El Charghi. WFP said it was delivering 4,181.4 mt of cereal, vegetables and oil to another 57,475 flood victims in Gogol, Brakna, Trarza and Hodh El Chargui. In Barkna, Gorgol, Tagant and western Assaba wilayas farm households will experience difficulties during the May-August hungry period because of "heavy pest damage to recessional crops", FEWS says. However, it adds that there are hopes that good recessional crops would make up for losses in rain fed or irrigated production. Heavy rains in northern Mauritania damaged more homes and infrastructure in the economic centre, Nouadhibou. However, the rains were good for pasture and watering conditions for livestock. The only area where watering conditions are poor are the southern agropastoral zones in parts of the Assaba, Brakna and Trarza wilayas. FEWS says households in these areas will find it difficult to access food because they are cut off from main sources of food.