The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has provided support to the Government of Mali through donations for the most vulnerable households, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The official handover of these donations was made this Saturday, November 7, 2020, in Bamako, in the Malian capital, reports ECOWAS in a press release sent to the AIP, Monday, November 09, 2020.

This action is a support in the fight against COVID-19 in Mali, already facing the cumulative consequences of terrorism, climate change and the risk of invasion of crop pests such as desert locusts and armyworm.

This solidarity was manifested through food donations of 793 tons of cereals composed of millet, maize, sorghum and rice. The first grant consists of 237 tonnes of cereals and is financed by the ECOWAS Commission's Humanitarian Emergencies Fund for Disaster and Emergency Relief to Member States affected by a humanitarian emergency.

To this first donation is added a second of 556 tons financed by the resources of the Project to support the storage of food security in West Africa which is financially supported by the European Union to the tune of 56 million euros.

These two donations, which complement the multifaceted support that ECOWAS has provided to Mali since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country on 24 March 2020, were handed over to Minister Alhamdou Ag Ilène, in charge of Malians abroad and African integration by Commissioners Sékou Sangaré and Siga Fatima Jagne, respectively in charge of Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources and Social Affairs and Gender of the ECOWAS Commission.

Created on 28 February 2013, in Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire, by ecowas Heads of State and Government, the Regional Food Security Reserve aims in particular to complement the efforts of Member States to provide rapid and diversified food and nutrition assistance in the event of a crisis.