Head of State Gift to affected Far North population in distribution

MINADER, Essimi Menye was in Maroua to chair the debriefing of the first phase distribution of presidential assistance to people threatened by famine.

Three weeks is the time prescribed by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER) to members in Far North's food crisis management Regional Committee to complete the last phase of the distribution of special food aid from the Head of State to the affected populations of the Far North.

Coming to Maroua to take stock of the first phase of this operation, Essimi Menye would avoid the rainy season beating down the routine farming in the most remote areas of the region.

During the session of the Food Crisis Management Regional Committee of the Far North, MINADER was presented by the Governor and the prefects of the departments concerned the distribution strategy of presidential assistance to endangered populations by famine due to the abuses of the terrorist sect Boko Haram and climatic hazards.

According Midjiyawa Bakari, if the commodities are transported to the most affected areas, access in remote areas of the Logone and Chari will face inflation on some products marring this first phase. In the departments of Logone and Chari, Mayo-Sava and Mayo-Tsanaga, administrative authorities have been confronted with the lack of resources for the delivery of aid in difficult to access areas.

The major suppliers (Maiscam, Cereals Office, Crédit du Sahel, and SEMRY Sodecoton) have expressed concern about the payment of invoices of their first deliveries. A fear that the MINADER quickly appeased by indicating that arrangements have been made with the Ministry of Finance for the liquidation of these invoices in real time. Essimi Menye also requested that a large store to sell rice be installed by SEMRY in Maroua to end speculative practices of this commodity.

The special food gift of the head of state primarily concerns populations of the departments of Mayo-Tsanaga, the Mayo-Sava and Logone and Chari. In these administrative units border in Nigeria, over 140 000 households are affected by the atrocities of terrorist sect Boko Haram.

In most of these communities, men, women and children, fleeing or victims of the attacks of the jihadists have abandoned estates, houses, crops and fields to find themselves wandering in other parts of the country.

In inland cities, host families have exhausted their food reserves to feed their guests. This distress has affected the sensitivity of the head of state who instructed the government to take appropriate measures to alleviate the suffering of those populations threatened by famine.

The operation which kicks off soon was launched last March in Maroua, concerns the distribution of foodstuffs and essential commodities to affected populations, building capacity of farmers through the acquisition of certain production tools.

Breeders are not forgotten in these presidential actions. Besides acquiring cake with Sodecoton for livestock feed, a special vaccination campaign (cattle) is organized in the region.