UAE food campaign distributes 4.5 million meals in Mauritania

Dubai: Around 92,000 underprivileged families and individuals in Mauritania received 4.5 million meals as part of the ongoing food distribution of the UAE’s ‘100 Million Meals’ campaign.

The campaign, said to be the largest food distribution drive in the region, aims to provide food support across 30 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America.

Beneficiaries, identified by a database of local authorities, received parcels of easy-to-store food items including rice, sugar, oil, dates, and flour to empower them to prepare their own meals throughout the month.

Forging partnerships

The campaign’s organiser, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) worked with the Food Banking Regional Network (FBRN) and several local authorities to ensure a swift and comprehensive food distribution including the Youth Association for Humanitarian Action and Development, the Al Rahma Association, and the Mauritanian Organisation for Development and Progress.

Sara Al Nuaimi, director at MBRGI, said the 100 Million Meals campaign provides food support to individuals and families wherever they are to boost solidarity in the face of crises, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

‘Serious threat’

She added: “Hunger, malnutrition, and food insecurity pose serious threats to the lives of more than 821 million people in the world. Therefore, solid cooperation among entities is vital to address the rising severity of food security in developing populations. Distribution efforts under 100 Million Meals would not be possible without our partners from international and regional organizations and local bodies and institutions across 30 countries, as well as the selfless work of volunteers.”

Volunteers from different regions of Mauritania and from all backgrounds contributed to the campaign’s efforts in the capital Nouakchott and provinces and suburbs including Toujounine, Tiaret District, Dar-Naim, and Chinguetti.

Unconditional giving

Moez Al Shahdi, co-Founder of FBRN, said. “We distributed 420 tonnes of food to 15,000 families registered with the Mauritanian Food Bank. Government employees and volunteers from international institutions and companies, as well as representatives of the civil society network, supervised distribution operations to ensure that families received sufficient and nutritious food parcels as part of the campaign’s efforts to combat hunger and malnutrition during a global pandemic.”

Humane response

The ‘100 Million Meals’ campaign concluded in May with double its target, drawing massive donations from individuals, institutions, the business community and philanthropists in the UAE and abroad to provide 216 million meals.