Mali declares state of national disaster

Bamako (Mali), Aug 24 The Malian transitional government said in a statement on Friday that it has declared a "state of national disaster" following flooding caused by heavy rains in the country in recent days.

Since the start of the rainy season in June, some 7,077 households nationwide have been hit by flooding, leaving 47,374 people displaced or affected, said the statement, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to a decree issued at the end of an extraordinary Cabinet meeting on Friday, Assimi Goita, transitional president, decided to provide the government with an envelope of 4 billion CFA francs (about 6.8 million US dollars) to deal with this "natural disaster."

Daoud Aly Mohammedine, minister of security and civil protection, told the press that the state of national disaster is "a very important decision" that allows "mobilizing all the resources of the state in the context of assistance and protection of all people who face the various disasters."

--IANS

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