Rain-fed agriculture feeds most of the Sahel, and this account from rural Mali shows how quickly erratic rainfall can tip whole communities from subsistence into crisis.
In Konodimini and Sidabougou, two farming villages around 255–260 km from Bamako in the Ségou region, the 2021 rains arrived late and fell irregularly, ruining rice and millet crops. Low river levels meant floodwaters never reached the paddies, leaving many households with no harvest at all. Residents describe a hidden famine, with families too proud to admit they cannot feed themselves, while staple prices climb beyond reach — a sack of rice now costs upwards of 35,000 CFA francs. With household heads often responsible for feeding dozens of dependants, many young people are considering leaving for informal gold-mining sites, work that carries its own dangers, including toxic pollution of soil and rivers.
Summary based on reporting by Khadydiatou Sanogo for the Climate Change Reporting Project (WAJA / Mano River Union CSO Platform).
Read the original at https://mrucsoplatform.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/mali-severe-famine.pdf