World Food Programme Fighting Hunger Worldwide

Men unload bags of food in Hombori, a small town near Mopti where many families have fled to escape the fighting in northern Mali.

WFP is assisting over 270,000 people displaced from their homes by the fighting within Mali, in addition to another 172,000 refugees in neighbouring countries.

An aid worker talks to a local woman from Bambara Maoude, a town near Timbuktu, where humanitarian access remains difficult as a result of security concerns related to the conflict.  

Aid workers said this man from Bambara Maoude broke down into tears when he received his food ration. At 80 years old, he no longer has the energy to tend his fields and has no other way to support his six grandchildren.

A woman from Bambara Maoude takes her food ration home and immediately begins preparing a meal for her family. WFP is concerned about the prospects for nutrition and food security in this part of the country as it enters the lean season in April.

In addition to providing families in Mali with food, WFP also supports projects like this one that empower women to take charge of food security in their communities.

At a local nutrition clinic, volunteers measure the upper-arm circumference of both mothers and their children to determine if they are malnourished. Families in need of food assistance can come here to receive special nutrition products provided by WFP.

Meals are also provided in local schools to ensure children get the calories and nutrition they need while giving them an added incentive to keep coming to class.