Brief history of the drought years in Mali 1984-1987 : lessons learned

This report examines the droughts and their underlying conditions, and documents the relief efforts which USAID/Mali pursued through its Drought Relief Office. Emphasis is placed on the institutional and strategic changes which took place at the Mission, within private voluntary organizations that distributed emergency food supplies, and within the Government of Mali, in response to the drought, and on the lessons which the experience taught concerning the need to, inter alia, calculate food deficits accurately, develop early warning systems, possess staff levels adequate to organize large-scale and urgent relief efforts efficiently, adopt a clear decisionmaking process, ensure in-country arrival of food supplies in due time and their rapid transport to the most stricken areas, and keep records of food deliveries.