Mauritania: Drought [ACT: 25-Apr-97]
Mauritania: Drought [ACT: 25-Apr-97]
Action by Churches Together (ACT)
Drought Assistance in Mauritania
Appeal Target : US$ 158,520
Geneva, 25 April 1997
Over the past two decades, Mauritania has experienced a
significant reduction in rainfall, resulting in drought,
widespread desertification, decreased agricultural production and
loss of livestock. This has forced the nomadic population into
settlements as well as caused a profound rural exodus.
Although rain-fed agriculture and livestock production are the
foundations of the rural economy, output and productivity remain
generally low as they are dependent upon unpredictable rainfall.
Once again the rains failed in 1996, resulting in a very poor
harvest.The production deficit is estimated at 34,000 tons, due
to which about 200,000 people are in need of assistance for a
period of 6 months. The drought has led to distress sale of
livestock at extremely poor prices and a further exodus of the
population towards the urban areas. The critical food, health and
nutrition situation has a severe effect on the most vulnerable
groups and a strong pressure on the already precarious
environment.
As the Islamic Republic of Mauritania is ranked among the least
developed countries (LDC) in the world, the government agencies
have limited capacity to respond to the needs of the drought
affected population. Furthermore, in view of the relatively few
International NGOs in Mauritania, the participation of ACT/LWS in
this emergency relief operation is imperative.
We thank you in advance for your support.
Rev. Myra Blyth=09=09=09Miriam
Lutz=09=09=09=09Rev. Rudolf
Hinz
Director=09=09=09=09=09ACT
Co-ordinator=09=09=09Director
WCC/Unit
IV=09=09=09=09=09=09=09=09LWF/World
Service
Ecumenical Centre, 150 route de Ferney , P.O. Box 2100, 1211
Geneva 2, Switzerland=09Phone: ++41 22 791 6033 Fax: ++41 22 791
6506 E-mail: act@wcc-coe.org Telex: 415 730 OIK CH=09
ACT/LWS Mauritania
Background Information: Among the Sahelian countries, Mauritania
is most affected by the dual calamities of drought and general
environmental degradation with its resultant misfortunes. These
are most visibly manisfested in the decline of animal husbandry,
increasing sedentarisation, rural to urban migration, destruction
of age old nomadic societies and its negative impact on the
traditional management of the ecosystem. The end result is
impoverishment in the quality of life.=20
With the influx of the refugees from Mali in the early nineties,
the fragile natural balance was severely disrupted and a general
destruction of plant life was set in motion. The presence of the
refugees created an unprecedented pressure, the consequences of
which have been disastrous.=20
Over the years, shifting corridors of sand dunes have covered
large areas which have led to a corresponding decrease in water
resources.
Together, these factors, have had a severe negative impact on the
people, the economy and the environment, which may take years to
redress, if at all redress is possible.
However, political developments in the last few years are
encouraging. Since the recognition of political parties in 1991
and the development of a *free press*, steps toward
democratization have continued.
The major priorities for economic and social development in
Mauritania include- increasing agricultural output, raising rural
incomes, providing improved rural infrastructure, preventing and
reversing the trend of rural-urban migration and developing
capacities to protect and enhance the physical environment and
natural resources.
Description of overall damage caused by the Event: The current
drought is a result of insufficient rainfall in 1996, which led
to a very poor harvest. The USAID*s Famine Early Warning System
(FEWS) report of February 1997 concluded that 200,000 people in 8
areas of Wilaya region were in need of emergency drought relief.
Two of the drought affected areas are Brakna and Gorgol, where
the ACT/Lutheran World Service (LWS) Mauritania programme
proposes to undertake emergency relief activities.
An inter-agency mission was conducted in January 1997, to
investigate the difficult food situation in the drought affected
rural areas. The mission was coordinated by the World Food
Program (WFP), with participants from international
organizations including ACT/LWS and related government agencies.=20
The mission observed a difficult food situation in the country
and appealed for emergency intervention in the worst affected
areas. Weighing of children revealed a critical nutritional
status of 24% severe malnutrition (red) and 37% moderate
malnutrition (yellow).
The estimated production deficit of 34,000 MT means that about
200,000 people are in need of food assistance for a period of 6
months.
Location: The rural landscape is marked by very poor living
conditions and severe poverty. Most areas in Brakna and Gorgol
where ACT/LWS plans to implement emergency activities have only
one harvest per year except near the rivers in the southern parts
of Brakna and Gorgol where two harvest periods are possible.=20
The Brakna region in the central south-western part of Mauritania
has a surface area of 33,000 sq.km. and a population of 209,500
including a nomadic population of 23,500. Reports indicate that
approximately 35,000 people are affected. A good road connects
Brakna*s regional headquarters Aleg to Nouakchott (port), the
capital which is 265 km away.
The dominant climatic zone in the region is saharo-sahelia,
covering 64% of the area, with a low annual rainfall of less than
200mm. The region suffers from desertification and the advance of
the Sahara Desert as vegetation is gradually stripped from the
surface. The population is predominantly Arab (63%) and the rest
are black African, concentrated along the Senegal River in the
south of the region.
The Gorgol region is located south-east of Brakna and has a
population of 200,000, who predominantly depend on agriculture
for their livelihood. However, the Gorgol valley irrigation
scheme, with a capacity to irrigate 3600 ha of land for producing
rice, sugar, wheat and maize, can no longer function due to the
low water levels in the rivers. In Gorgol more than 25% of the
population (50,000 people) are affected.
As the European Union (EU) and the World Food Programme (WFP)
plan to focus in Brakna, the prospects for inflow of emergency
assistance are more favorable in that region. Hence community
feeding activities are only proposed for the Gorgol region, where
planned assistance is limited. For the cereal banks however, this
proposal previews activities for Brakna as well as Gorgol.
The Lutheran World Service (LWS) Mauritania programme has
extensive experience in the above areas since the late *70s. LWS
has field based projects in the Brakna and Gorgol regions with=20
an operational capacity which can also be utilized for the
emergency relief activities. It has good working relations with
the related government agencies and local knowledge of the
communities.The organization also has it*s own HF radio
communication system in the area.
ACTion
Number and Type of Beneficiaries targeted: For the community
feeding activities in Gorgol, food commodities will be obtained
from Doulos, an International NGO, operational in the nutrition
sector in Mauritania. ACT/LWS will work in cooperation with the
communities and related governmental agencies who will also
provide technical assistance. Volunteers will be trained in the
villages to manage the centers. ACT/LWS will be responsible for
the logistical and the operational aspects as well as for the
overall supervision and coordination of feeding 1,000 children
and mothers in 20 centres.
Cereal Banks have been identified by the inter-agency mission as
an appropriate short-term response to this food crisis. Cereal
banks play a vital role in stabilising cereal prices and make the
poor less vulnerable to the speculation of business people. As
marginal farmers are normally the first victims of food shortage
during times of drought, they would be the main beneficiaries of
this activity. It is proposed to establish 13 cereal banks in
Brakna and 6 in the Gorgol which will benefit 17,100 people @
900 people per bank. Cereals can be obtained locally from other
international organizations. =20
ACT/LWS will undertake joint missions with related technical
governmental agencies to identify the communities that are in
most need of support. Criteria for the selection of beneficiaries
will be developed by a committee which includes representatives
from:=09=09
*ACT/LWS
*Ministry of Rural Development and the Environment (MDRE)
*DRASS (Ministry of Health)
*Antenne de la Condition Feminine (Ministry responsible for
Women*s Development)
To ensure fair distribution of relief activities from a gender
perspective, the Antenne de la condition Feminine will be
represented in the mission to identify beneficiaries as well as
in the supervision committee.=20
Stated Needs: Funds are required for rehabilitation/construction
of 19 Cereal Banks, cooking utensils and equipment for 20
Community Feeding Centers, Transportation costs for 2 vehicles as
well as for Administration and Coordination expenses for 6
months.The latter also includes training expenses, mainly for
local people and government employees who will be mobilized to
manage the community feeding centers.
Income Budget: ACT/LWS has submitted a project proposal for US$
216,533 to EURONAID for European Union (EU) funds to undertake
community feeding activities for 2,000 children and mothers and
for food distribution to a drought affected population of 39,000
people. The necessary food commodities, over 2,750 MT of wheat,
beans, vegetable oil, milk powder, sugar and salt required for
this operation will be provided by the EU. These activities are
planned for a 5 month period, and will probably commence in June
1997, when the food commodities are expected to arrive. This
operation will focus on the Brakna region and some adjacent areas
of Gorgol and Assaba.
A request for US$ 17,000 has also been made to WFP for community
feeding activities in Brakna and Assaba. These WFP funded
activities will supplement the EU related emergency assistance,
but there will be no overlap in aid given to communities.
Apart from the emergency relief activities proposed in this
appeal, WFP will commence with community feeding activities for
10,000 children and mothers in the 4 most affected regions with
ACT/LWS as one of their implementing partners. WFP will also
provide 16,000 MT of wheat, which is to be distributed by the
Government*s Food Security Commissioner (CSA), in the drought
affected areas. The Commissioner has already distributed 3,000 MT
of wheat in the affected areas and the Government of France has
donated another 3,000 MT of wheat for the drought emergency. =20
Procurement: No international procurement is necessary in
relation to this appeal. The necessary construction materials,
utensils, fuel, spare parts and training material can be
purchased locally. Food commodities required for this emergency
assistance operation will be obtained in kind from the
international agencies operational in Mauritania.
Implementation timetable: Emergency assistance is expected to be
required till the next harvest period of October/November 1997.
Hence, an implementation period of 6 months is presently
foreseen.
Coordination: Apart from requesting a WFP coordinated
inter-agency mission, the government has not established a formal
coordinating body for this drought emergency, although possible
interventions are discussed separately with different partners.
There has been a meeting of international NGOs to coordinate the
community feeding activities by various agencies. Likewise, WFP
has also chaired several meetings to coordinate the emergency
response. LWS is an active partner in these coordination
meetings.
BUDGET
Items=09=09Qty=09=09Unit costs=09=09Total
=09=09=09=09=09=09=09(in USD)
Rehab./constr. of 19 cereal banks
- Brakna =20
=09=0913=09=092,000=09=09=0926,000
- Gorgol =20
=09=096=09=092,000=09=09=0912,000
=09=09
Sub-total =20
=09=09=09=09=09=09=0938,000
Support to 20 community feeding centers
- Supervisors=092=09=09 500 x 6=09=096,000
- UtensilsVarious=09=09=09=09 =094,000
Sub-total=09=09=09=09=09 10,000
Transportation costs for 2 vehicles
Fuel=09=09
=09=09=09=09=09=09=098,000
- Repair & Maintenance=09=09=09=09=095,000
- Transport of food items to be
obtained from other NGOs=09=09=09=097,000
=09=09Sub-total=09=09=09 20,000
Administration & Coordination (for 6 months)
- Supervision
1 Expatriate coordinator=0920% of=098,333 x6=0910,000
1 National coordinator=09=0920% of=091,100 x 6=09 1,320
- Drivers=092=09 200x 6=09=09=09 2,400
- Drivers* assistants 2=09 150 x 6=09 =09=09 1,800
- Labourers (loading/unloading/=09Various=09=09=09=09=20
=09=09=09=09=09=09=09 6,000
=09 setting up centres)
- Per diem=09=09=09 =09=09=09 8,000=20
- Training expenses=09=09=09=09=0910,000
- Administrative costs=09=09=09=09=0920,000
- Contingencies=09=09=09=09=09=09 5,000
Sub-total 64,520
Purchase of a Vehicle 26,000
GRAND TOTAL 158,520
Note: Further details, including costs break down, will be
provided in an update.
Kindly send your contributions to the ACT bank account.
For further information, please contact:
ACT Co-ordinator, Miriam Lutz (phone ++41 22 791 6032 or mobile
phone ++ 41 89 203 6055)
or
ACT Appeals Officer, Neville Pradhan (phone +41 22 791 6035)
Co-ordinating Office
APPEAL FACT SHEET
Appeal Number:AFMR71
Appeal Name: Mauritania Drought Assistance
Date Issued: April 25, 1997
Project Completion Date: October 25,1997
Project Description: Failure of rains in 1996 has resulted in
critical food shortages affecting around 200,000 people in
sub-Saharan Mauritania.
LWS Mauritania proposes to implement community feeding programmes
for 1,000 malnourished children and mothers through 20 centres.
As part of a food security measure, 19 Cereal Banks will also be
established which is expected to benefit 17,100 people belonging
to marginal farmer families.
Implementing Activity Appeal Target
Partner Description (USD)
LWS Mauritania Rehab./constr. Of Cereal Banks 38,000
Support to Comm. Feeding Centres 10,000
Transport Costs/Vehicle purchase 46,000
Administration & Coordination 64,520
TOTAL APPEAL TARGET: 158,520
*** Pledges can be communicated to ACT by using the Appeal Pledge
Form ***
ACT - Action by Churches Together
Account Number: 102539/0.01.61
Banque Edouard Constant
Cours de Rive 11
Case postale 3754
1211 Geneve 3
SWITZERLAND
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