CRS History in Mali

Mali is among the poorest countries in the world. Sixty-five percent of Mali's land area is desert or semi-desert. The country also has a highly unequal distribution of income. Economic activity is largely confined to the riverine area irrigated by the Niger River. About 10% of the population is nomadic and some 80% of the labor force is engaged in subsistence farming and fishing.

Eighty percent of the Mopti region and 50% of the overall population is unable to meet their basic food needs. In addition, the Niger River often overflows resulting in half of the region being nearly inaccessible at times.

The majority of households in Douentza district are threatened with acute food shortages, resulting from infestation of locusts in the summer of 2004 that destroyed crops and pastureland. A severe drought that followed prevented most surviving staple crops from reaching maturity. In Mali, estimates from official sources suggest that approximately 703,000 hectares (1,757,500 acres) of cropland and pasture were affected. One of the direct consequences was that millions of farmers did not harvest enough to meet immediate food consumption needs. In Mopti, at least 1.1 million farmers lost up to 80% of their crops, leaving them and their families almost nothing to eat during the past harvest season. Households tried to cope by selling or bartering assets such as farm equipment and jewelry.

CRS has been working in Mali since 1993. The agency currently maintains two offices in Mali, one in the capital city, Bamako, and one in the regional capital, Mopti. CRS/Mali has two international and 32 national staff members.