Mali: Humanitarian Bulletin (December 2016 - January 2017)

HIGHLIGHTS

• New displacements registered in the north of the country

• Humanitarian access: 68 incidents recorded in 2016

• Children are the most affected by mines and explosive remnants of war

• Increase in the number of reported cases of genderbased violence

Nearly 2000 new displacements due to conflicts in the north

About 2,000 people have been displaced due to insecurity in the north of the country during the months of December 2016 and January 2017. Particularly, nearly a thousand people have moved from Anefif in the region of Kidal, to Bourem in the region of Gao, following the alert about fighting between armed groups in the area. In the region of Timbuktu, a conflict between Tuareg communities has caused more than a thousand other people to move within the “Cercle” (administrative level 2) of Gourma Rharous. In addition, in the region of Menaka, intercommunity conflicts have also caused the displacement of several households, while the arrival of 400 people coming from Niger were also recorded.

Ongoing assistance
Humanitarian organizations have provided the necessary assistance to the displaced persons, especially those who have recently left their community due to the conflict.
Evaluations have been conducted on the field to identify the needs and to provide response. Approximately 800 vulnerable households (4,000 people) in Ntillit and Tilemsi (region of Gao) have notably been targeted through one or several forms of assistance (food, cash, non-food items, hygiene and sanitation product, shelters). Nearly 750 other households (3,750 people) - including a hundred refugee families from Niger - have also been targeted for assistance in Anderamboukane, Tagalatet and Alata (region of Menaka).

The Local Social Development and Solidarity Economy Service (SLDSES) of Menaka with the support of the NGO Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) initiated the identification of 160 refugee households from Niger in the “Cercle” of Anderamboukane at the end of January. These people are reported to have crossed the border as a result of the operations carried out since November 2016 by the Nigerien army following the attack against the Banibangou camp in Niger.