Food situation still worrying

Mauritania's food security situation remains worrying despite a slight improvement in rainfall, the Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET) reported in its September situation report. According to FEWS, the rainfall was still insufficient in balancing off the impact of months of drought because Mauritania's farming relied mostly on irrigated water. Many farmers continued to lose cattle due to lack of water and prices of basic needs, such as meat and sorghum, remained slightly higher than normal. Humanitarian agencies were contemplating proposals to double the 26 food centers that were set up since April to 52. The centers, called Centre d'Alimentaire Communautaire (Communal Food Centres), were set up by United Nations agencies and NGOs to distribute food to the most needy. The government, FEWS said, was still hopeful that the international community would respond to an international food appeal it launched last month. The World Food Programme had begun a distribution of emergency food ration but that this had not alleviated the food deficit, FEWS Net reported. According to the Lutheran World Services, 26.5 percent out of 4,642 people suffered from severe malnutrition in the Assaba region and those suffering from moderate malnutrition accounted for 41.5 percent. In the Gorgol district (M'Bout prefecture), 16 percent of 3,257 people were severely affected and those who were moderately affected represented 31 percent, FEWS Net reported. Full report on Mauritania