Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Japanese Ambassador to Mauritania UCHIDA Tatsukuni and Abdallah Souleymane Cheikh-Sidia, Mauritania’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Development, on Tuesday signed and exchanged notes regarding a grant for food aid amounting to 400 million yen ($2.6 million).

Japan’s Foreign Ministry said that this cooperation will provide food aid to Mauritania with the aim of ensuring food security in the country.

At the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) in August, Japan pledged to work towards strengthening food security and supporting sustainable agriculture, forestry, and fisheries.

The Foreign Ministry said approximately 90 percent of Mauritania’s land area is desert, and with a lack of sufficient arable land, the country is constantly suffering from severe food shortages. Severe droughts and rising prices of staple food items are also having a growing impact on the people.