Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Japan will grant food aid worth 500 million yen to Mauritania that is facing food shortages caused by persistent droughts in the southern and eastern parts of the country.

This aid was part of Prime Minister Kishida’s announcement at the G7 Elmau Summit last month that “Japan would contribute $200 million in response to the global food crisis,” the foreign ministry said.  

Isao Ehara, Ambassador of Japan in Mauritania, signed the agreement with the Minister of Economy and Promotion of Productive Sectors Ousmane Mamoudou Kane in the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott on Thursday.

In Mauritania, It is estimated that more than 660,000 people, 15% of the total population, an increase of 30% from 2021, will face a food crisis.  Mauritania is 1.03 million square kilometers, with a population of 4.65 million.

There is an urgent need to ensure the country’s food security, according to the ministry. Crop production in 2021 decreased by 40% from June to August 2022, it said.

At the 7th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7) held in August 2019, Japanannounced its ” contribution to the construction of a resilient and sustainable society”, and Thursday’s agreement has demonstrated this commitment.