Statement by FAO Representative in Mali: Virtual humanitarian briefing on the situation in Mali

 

Virtual Humanitarian Briefing on the Situation in Mali

Statement from the floor from FAO, delivered by

Mr. Mansour Ndiaye, FAO Representative in Mali

Thank you very much. 

I would like to take this opportunity once more to thank Mr. Martin Griffiths, for having travelled recently to Mali. I also wish to thank the Coordinator of the UN System Mr. Alain Noudéhou,

If you allow me, I would just like to give you some information I would like to share from the field.

FAO is particularly concerned about the plight of those peoples who have already been – for many years – contending with food crisis in Mali.

The food insecurity deepening is many ways the consequence of the insecurity in Mali. 

In food crisis contexts, the insecurity in Mali has serious consequences in the food insecurity trend.

At FAO, we have shown that emergency agricultural assistance is key to avert a deepening crisis – securing food production right where it is needed most, for today, next month, and the years to come. 

This is the reason why, FAO once more, calls for a more systematic inclusion of agriculture interventions in our humanitarian operations.

If you want to ensure that most people have sufficient food in a context where two-thirds of the population lives in rural areas and where most of IPC3+ population lives, supporting agriculture livelihoods interventions is vital. 

When Mr. Griffiths was here, we have shared our own analyses of cost effectiveness of agricultural livelihood interventions, and the figure is the following. 

If you put USD 900 a year in a family of eight persons, FAO can commit itself that we will take that household out of the emergency crisis, as far as food security is concerned.

If that same farming family has to buy food on the local market, it will cost at least four times as much, and this is crystal clear. 

The cost of action is way below than the cost of inaction. This is why we want to ensure that most people have sufficient food in a context where 80 percent of the population in Mali lives in rural areas. 

Let me take once more this opportunity to thank Mr. Martin Griffiths for his leadership, his role in advocating for more support, not only to Mali but to the Sahel by and large.

And to also acknowledge that the support of those countries that have placed trust and confidence in us, in our daily intervention in Mali, has been critical. 

Thank you to our able RC Alain for the leadership on a daily basis and guidance that we are receiving from his office to address the challenges here in Mali. 

Thank you for your kind attention.