Drought-weary Mauritanians head to city for iftar

By Mohamed al-Bakay

NOUAKCHOTT (AA) - Mauritanians from drought-hit rural areas are heading into the capital Nouakchott to break their Ramadan fasts at tents set up by charity organizations.

Mauritania was hit by a severe drought this year, causing a very serious food and nutrition insecurity situation, the worst that the country has seen in the last five years.

According to estimates, around 14 percent of the country’s population are in severe food insecurity, raising fears of a food crisis in the North African country.

The severe drought has forced thousands of Mauritanians living in rural areas to move to urban areas, particularly the capital Nouakchott, to break their fasts at tents set up by charities.

“People who come to break their fasts at our tents are extremely high this year,” Noureddin Ould Ba, a volunteer, told Anadolu Agency.

He said every iftar tent has around 300 people breaking their fast every day.

“This number is higher than previous years,” he said.

-Safe place

Abdul-Rahman is a frequent visitor of iftar tents in Nouakchott since the beginning of Ramadan, which started last month.

“These tents have become a safe place for poor people, who are unable to provide iftar,” he told Anadolu Agency.

Abdul-Rahman paid tribute to organizers and volunteers at the iftar tents for helping visitors.

“They are good-hearted people and serve us happily,” he said.

“Tents are always clean and comfortable,” he said, going on to call for applying the initiative to other cities and villages across the country.

Muhammad Ould Muhammad Babah, the head of an NGO organizing iftar tents during Ramadan, said many volunteers take part in preparing iftar meals during the fasting month.

“We have young volunteers who cook, clean and package pastries for our guests at the tents,” he said.

He said many Mauritanians are participating in the initiative by helping distribute iftar meals during the holy month.

“Many people offer their cars to transport the iftar meals to the tents across Nouakchott,” he said.

In parallel with the iftar tents, the Mauritanian government has launched a program to provide subsidized foodstuffs to 3,400 poor families during Ramadan as part of efforts to ease the food crisis in the country.

*Ali Murat Alhas contributed to the story in Ankara