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afrol News, 7 March - After two years of drought and famine, the rural population of southern Mauritania fears yet another drought may be upcoming. Sparse rainfall in January remind of the conditions of last winter. Relief from ongoing harvests is expected to last very short. - In January, sparse rainfall raised concerns among rural populations, recalling the conditions of last winter, the World Food Programme (WFP) reports from Mauritania. Livestock was now being sold for very low prices at Mauritanian markets, indicating pastures will not sustain the cattle population and emergency slaughtering is taking place. According to an assessment by WFP, "harvest in January and February will provide populations with sustenance for one or two months only." Traditional cereals, such as sorghum and millet, had seen their price rising continuously since the start of the year and these grains were "conspicuously absent from rural markets." In all rural areas, the exodus of people to urban centres is reported to continue. WFP's Executive Board mission had visited Aftout, the area most affected by the drought, from 22 to 26 February. The mission members there had been able to "observe the serious situation faced by the affected populations." Several humanitarian agencies already have initiated food distributions for 246,500 persons in Mauritania, as WFP is concerned the situation may develop into a regular famine. So far, however, only some 10,000 tons of wheat had been announced to arrive in April 2003, against a total WFP commitment of 43,632 tons for Mauritania. - Early intervention is considered crucial, WFP warned, having in mind the very slow and low response of donor countries during the famine last year. Despite repeated government and WFP calls for the provision of emergency food aid, humanitarian agencies on several occasion had to interrupt their distribution due to lack of food to distribute. - Malnutrition rates in some areas of Mauritania are already at crisis levels and there is a risk of starvation due to lack of food between June and September 2003, WFP today warns. This was not only the case in Mauritania, but also in the other countries covered by the regional WFP office. The office is currently facing a shortfall of 44,000 tons, or 80 percent of the total requirements. "WFP needs US$ 22 million to quickly purchase food rations to help feed 420,000 people suffering from three consecutive years of severe drought in southern Mauritania, as well as 160,000 people in Cape Verde, The Gambia, Mali and Senegal," the UN agency says.
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