Assistance to Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons Affected by Insecurity in Mali
Following the outbreak of violence in the Gao, Kidal, and Timbuktu regions of Mali, hundreds of thousands of people have fled northern Mali and sought refuge with host communities and in refugee camps in neighbouring countries. According to the latest figures from the Office of United NationsHigh Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 160,000 Malians have sought refuge in Mauritania, Burkina Faso, and Niger, while WFP estimates at 200,000 the number of are internally displaced in Mali. As conflict continues in northern Mali, the situation is expected to further deteriorate and pastoral populations are expected to migrate throughout the region in greater numbers. The situation has been exacerbated by an on-going food crisis in eight countriesin the Sahel, including Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, and Niger. WFP estimates that 7 million people are in need of food assistance in these four countries and is responding to the drought through operations at the country level, guided by the WFP regional response framework for the Sahel.