Mali

Mali's government is democratically elected; the country is politically and economically stable. However, Mali is still one of the poorest countries in the world.

In 2004, the entire Sahel region of West Africa, including Mali, was invaded by the worst locust swarm in 10 years. This shock was followed by a drought that affected the greater portion of northern Mali. Together, these two factors exacerbated food insecurity throughout the country; the northern towns of Mopti and Gao were most severely affected.

In response, Catholic Relief Services implemented the Emergency Response to Locusts and Drought Induced Food Insecurity in West Africa project. The initiative provided essential food and inputs to over 8,500 households in need. The resounding success of this intervention led to the subsequent Douentza Circle Crisis: Improving Household Resiliency to Good Security Shocks in Mali project. Here, CRS specifically targeted the Douentza Circle region because it was the area most affected by the natural disasters. The population in this region is most vulnerable because they have lost many of their productive assets, which would normally help insulate them against the effect of shocks.

The Douentza Circle Crisis: The Improving Household Resiliency to Food Security Shocks in Mail Project helps communities in one area of the Mopti region improve their food security through agricultural recovery that stimulates local markets and helps households increase their economic resources. CRS and partners use food distributions and seed and voucher fairs to help protect household resiliency and promote food security.