Flag of Mauritania

Mauritania

Language: English
Mauritania cooperative garden
Women’s Cooperative Addresses Water and Food Needs in Mauritania

About Mauritania

The Islamic Republic of Mauritania, a country with a large land mass but a relatively small population, is contending with high youth unemployment (48.9% for men and 40.7% for women), high poverty (42%) and a relative lack of formal education.

Because Mauritania imports about 70 percent of its food, rising world food prices threaten economic and food security – particularly for the 42 percent of the population which lives below the poverty line. Furthermore, longstanding ethnic tensions and the presence of extremist groups around its borders pose ongoing security challenges, threatening the stability established since the 2009 democratic elections (following a 2008 military coup). In addition, approximately 50,000 Malian refugees remain in Mauritania, further putting a strain on existing national and international resources.

Contact Information

Mission Contact

Lisa Washington-Sow
USAID Representative
Nouakchott
Mauritania
Phone 
+222 4525 2660 x4441

USAID Contact

Tiana Hill
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington
, DC 
20523
USA
Phone 
+1 202 712 0571