Mali braces for hunger

As Mali slowly emerges from its 2012 political crisis and the Islamist insurgency in the north, the new government and its partners are focusing on long-term development. But aid groups warn that there are humanitarian needs that must be addressed immediately, particularly ensuring more food aid gets to extremely vulnerable communities in the north. "The humanitarian crisis is still there. There are people out there who are extremely poor and need humanitarian assistance," said Oxfam country director Mohamed Couilbaly. The World Food Programme (WFP) estimatesthat some 1.5 million people will need food assistance this year. In a January statement,11 NGOs raised concerns over food scarcity in northern Mali. Among the concerns were: the projected early start of the lean season, which normally begins in April or May, when households have normally run out food stocks; the deterioration of pasture and the likely loss of livestock; the legacy of poor harvests in the 2012-2013 season; and poor roads and insecurity that continue to stymie aid access. The statement also warned of a "drastic reduction" in aid funding and dangers of serious donor shortfalls. Breaking the cycle of crisis Sally Haydock, WFP country chief, points out that Mali is now into "its third year of crisis". The effects of the 2011-2012 drought were exacerbated by the onset of conflict in January 2012, leaving many people out of work and unable to plant. Haydock argued that cycle of crises can be broken, but only if appropriate action is taken. "There has to be enough support for the agricultural season in terms of seeds, inputs, fertilizers in time," Haydock emphasizes. Good rains are also critical. She acknowledged that agricultural performance and food needs vary from region to region. This year, the Dogon countryis of particularly concern, especially the central region of Bandiagara, where the harvest only lasted until mid-January. Haydock said the area will require food distributions for several months. WFP has crafted a three-year resilience programme, part its attempt to break the cycle of food shortages. Water harvesting, irrigation and market gardening are some of the agency's strategies for Mali's post-emergency agricultural priorities. "I think it's important that, despite the other competitive needs of CAR [the Central African Republic], South Sudan and Syria, Mali not be forgotten. Donors have pledged a lot of money at the Brussels conference [for] ensuring stability of the country, and now we need to ensure that carries on," Haydock told IRIN. Maintaining humanitarian agenda Oxfam's Coulibaly said that donor response to the NGOs' alert has been disappointing, and there is fear that Mali's humanitarian needs could be eclipsed by other crises. "If aid is going up in terms of military assistance and budget support, there must also be a clear increase in humanitarian support," Coulibaly argued. "And this has to be done rapidly. If the response is not fast, things could become a lot more serious." The ongoing crises in South Sudan and the CAR have moved Mali out of the spotlight. Donors met with Mali's interim government officials in Brussels in May 2013 for the "Together for a New Mali" conference, following the ouster of Islamist rebels from the northern towns by French forces. At the event, there were strong public commitments from France, the European Union (EU) and others to build on the peace that had been secured. Donors pledged some 3.3 billion euros, with a strong emphasis on "transparency and mutual accountability", although observers have noted that some of the funding promised was "old money" from previous cooperation budget lines. The aid, particularly from the EU, was conditional on Mali making significant progress on governance, restoring state services, holding elections and combating corruption