Mali's 2026 national food response plan, budgeted at 12.7bn FCFA (€19.4mn), provides for free distribution of 19,960 metric tons of cereals and subsidized food kits for 19,200 households, APA reported on October 17. The plan targets 1,560,189 people classified in crisis or worse during the June–August lean season, according to data from the regional food-security assessment Cadre Harmonisé cited by the FAO, APA said.
Analysis: The number of people in crisis rose 2.6% from a year earlier even as cereal prices were 5.0% lower in September, INSTAT reported. FAO said in July that coarse grain prices had declined 10% to 30% after a good harvest but remained higher in areas such as Gao and Timbuktu where trade was disrupted. The figures suggest that food access varies by location, rather than showing a nationwide shortage. The plan's value is equivalent to about 8,140 FCFA (€12.4) per targeted person, by our calculation. The next Cadre Harmonisé assessment, generally published in November, should indicate needs for 2027.
Source: APA News, APA, 'Mali : l’insécurité alimentaire aiguë touche plus de 1,5 million de personnes' (APA - Bamako, October 17, 2026), citing Cadre Harmonisé data reported by the FAO and the government's 2026 national response plan, 2026 and June–August 2026 and June–August 2025; Institut National de la Statistique (INSTAT Mali), INSTAT Mali, IHPC note, September 2026 (base 2023), dated 10/10/2026, September 2026