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HIGHLIGHTS
Mali is experiencing a multidimensional crisis, driven by the combined impacts of insecurity, inter-communal conflict, socio-political instability, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting 11.7 million people. Of these, 5.9 million – one in three Malians – need humanitarian assistance. Grave violations of children's rights are pervasive and displacement remains a major concern with nearly 400,000 people internally displaced.
UNICEF will implement an integrated and coordinated response, focusing on building peaceful, inclusive and resilient communities while strengthening the linkages between humanitarian action, development and peace programming. Interventions are designed to meet the needs of the most vulnerable children and communities, including those impacted by the socioeconomic effects of COVID-19. A systematic gender lens will inform all analysis and programme design.
In 2022, UNICEF is requesting US$119.3 million to reach 2.3 million people, including 2 million children, with critical humanitarian assistance in Mali.
HUMANITARIAN SITUATION AND NEEDS
Mali is facing multiple crises, including insecurity in the center and north, with strong regional ramifications (especially in Liptako Gourma), inter-communal conflicts, socio-political instability, climate change and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which affects 11.7 million people. The humanitarian situation has deteriorated. In 2022, 5.9 million people will be in need of humanitarian assistance, including 2.9 million women, 3.2 million children and 800,000 people with disabilities. As a result of ongoing attacks against civilians, the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) has steadily increased and now totals nearly 400,000 people, of which 55 per cent are female and 64 per cent are children. Hostilities often result in grave violations of child rights including killing, maiming, recruitment and use by armed groups, as well as gender-based violence. Across the country, 1.3 million children need protection. Attacks and threats by armed groups on education infrastructure, initially limited to the central and northern regions, have now expanded to the south of the country, affecting 499,200 children and 9,984 teachers across insecure regions. In the northern and central regions, more than 96 per cent of IDPs live in areas where access to water is below the national average. Mali also has one of the highest mortality rates due to unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in Africa.
Global acute malnutrition prevalence exceeds 10 per cent in a number of areas; more than 177,000 children under 5 years of age are suffering from severe acute malnutrition; and food insecurity affects 1.3 million people. In addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fragile health system is struggling with several other disease outbreaks, including measles, cholera and polio. In northern and central Mali, 1.8 million people need access to basic health services. Increasing constraints on humanitarian access are a major concern, especially in areas lacking basic social services and infrastructure.
Mali ranks 184 out of 189 countries on the Human Development Index and 49.7 per cent of households live below the income poverty line.20 Gender inequalities also impact child rights and hinder access to basic services. The country is currently experiencing an 18-month political transition following two consecutive coups d'états that occurred in August 2020 and May 2021, with elections planned for early 2022.