The negative economic and living consequences of the Russian-Ukrainian war have reached Mauritania, which is witnessing an accelerating rise in the prices of fuel derivatives, wheat and other commodities.
Mauritania imports 60% of its food needs from abroad, and its poverty rate is 31%.
Fuel prices are witnessing successive increases, after increases in the price of a barrel, from an average of $80 before the Russian military operations, to $139, before settling at $107 currently.
hunger rates
The head of the Mauritanian Center for Strategic Studies and Research, the economist, Sobhi Ould Weddady, expected that the rise in global food prices would contribute to an increase in hunger rates in the West African country of 4 million people.
Weddady pointed out, in a statement to Anadolu Agency, that 600,000 people suffer from hunger in Mauritania, and one out of every 5 children suffers from malnutrition.
He added, in light of the poor self-sufficiency of the country in grain and food, Mauritania may witness an increase in hunger rates, especially since we have not yet emerged from the repercussions of the Corona crisis and the poverty rate in the country reaches 31%.
All food products in the country are imported, except for fish, meat and rice, while the volume of food imports in the country is estimated at 60% of food needs.
In turn, the head of the Mauritanian Consumer Forum (non-governmental), Khalil Ould Khairy, stressed that the fuel crisis and the rise in global prices will have major repercussions on Mauritania, noting that the latter was importing wheat mainly from Russia and Ukraine.
In a statement to Anadolu Agency, Ould Khairy said that many bakeries in Mauritania have already begun to lose bread weight, and the prices of this substance in the Mauritanian markets have risen despite the government's warning against changing the price before the stock in the country runs out.
He pointed out that Mauritania is going through difficult conditions as a result of the drought that is hitting large parts of the country, which makes the repercussions of the global food price crisis will be great for this country.
inflated markets
Economist Sobhi Ould Wedadi predicted that the global fuel crisis and the rise in food prices would cause a massive wave of inflation in the Mauritanian markets.
He explained that the import of hydrocarbons represents 30% of Mauritanian imports, and the price of a ton of wheat rose in the country at once by about $60, so he expects a major inflation wave in the market.
government measures
The Mauritanian government expected - through its spokesman, Mokhtar Ould Dahi - an increase in wheat prices in Mauritania due to the Russian-Ukrainian war, given that the two countries are considered among the most wheat-exporting countries.
Ould Dahi said - in a press conference on the second of this March - that the government has begun to establish a committee to take the necessary measures, noting that the president gave directives in this regard.
He pointed out that the quantity now available in the markets was purchased before the outbreak of the war, pointing out that some traders have tried to exploit the crisis and raise wheat prices since the early days of the war.
He added that if new quantities of wheat enter the Mauritanian market, the Ministry of Trade will hold a session with traders to restructure the new price, indicating that the government will bear what it can bear from the burdens of the new price on the citizen.
On March 7, the authorities announced the arrival of a shipment of 25,000 tons of wheat to the port of Nouakchott, as part of a government plan to import 100,000 tons of wheat, earmarked for the state's social programs.