Attachments
Highlights
- The security situation in Mali continued to deteriorate, with increased attacks by armed groups on industries, fuel supplies, and the armed forces, causing fuel shortages and heightened insecurity in southern regions. Population movements continue to shape the humanitarian crisis, as over 51,000 Burkinabe refugees arrived in Koro (Bandiagara region), between April and September, nearly doubling the local refugee population.
- Since January 2025, 136,483 children have been treated for Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), reaching 60.5% of the annual target. Over 1.5 million children under five are acutely malnourished in the country, including 314,893 with SAM. Mali monitored several epidemic-prone diseases: 5 diphtheria, 612 dengue, 100 meningitis, and 165 measles cases during the first 39 weeks.
- Despite limited resources, UNICEF supported emergency health supplies to 24 districts, serving 258,437 people; provided drinking water sources to 69,923 individuals; and supported quality education for 19,998 crisis-affected children, including 10,554 girls, during the back-to-learning period.
SITUATION IN NUMBERS
3,510,000 Children in need of humanitarian assistance
6,400,000 People in need of humanitarian assistance
402,167 Internally Displaced Persons
FUNDING OVERVIEW AND PARTNERSHIPS
In 2025, UNICEF appealed for US$ 132.9 million to respond to the urgent humanitarian needs of children and women in Mali. So far, only US$ 34,992,492—equivalent to 26% of the total appeal—has been received. Between January and September 2025, UNICEF Mali received new contributions from Germany (GFFO), Sweden (Sida), Canada (GCA), the Principality of Monaco, Spain (AECID), the United States Government, the German National Committee for UNICEF, Education Cannot Wait (ECW), and UNICEF’s Global Thematic Humanitarian Fund. Each of these contributions represents a lifeline for children, and UNICEF Mali extends its heartfelt gratitude to these partners for their steadfast support. Despite these efforts, a significant funding gap remains—US$ 97,907,508, or 74% of the appeal—limiting the ability to reach every child in need. The most severe shortfalls are seen in Health, Child Protection, WASH, and Education, putting at risk the delivery of critical services that save and transform lives.
UNICEF continues to call for flexible, softly earmarked, and multiyear funding, which enables faster, more adaptive, and cost-effective humanitarian responses. Urgent additional support is vital to ensure that the most vulnerable children and families affected by crises in Mali receive the protection, care, and opportunities they need.
SITUATION OVERVIEW AND HUMANITARIAN NEEDS
The security landscape in Mali during the reporting period remained volatile and was shaped by military operations that have been stepped up throughout the country, as well as terrorism-related incidents, with significant spillover in the South and West.
A key trend is the evolving strategy of JNIM and affiliated groups, which have intensified their economic warfare by targeting industrial entities and fuel supplies. Several factories have been ransacked, and dozens of fuel tankers set on fire in the South-East and West, leading to fuel shortages, rising prices, and frequent electricity outages in several regions, including Bamako. Another key trend is the continued increase in attacks on convoys and positions of the Malian Armed Forces, with a growing use of improvised explosive devices, kamikaze drones, and ambushes, hampering military operations. Extremist violence against rural communities also persists, mostly driven by JNIM and, to a lesser extent, by ISGS and FLA. Reported incidents include harassment, clashes with Dozo hunters, abductions, livestock theft, and forced displacement— particularly in Segou region under threat from JNIM militants, and in Gao, likely triggered by the FLA blockade on Kidal. In addition, from April to September 2025, Koro Circle (Bandiagara region) saw about 51,000 Burkinabe refugees arrive after attacks in their communities, nearly doubling the refugee population in the area, according to UNHCR.
Humanitarian actors continue to face growing operational risks. Complex threats posed by natural hazards, Jihadist insurgency, and criminal activity, particularly along key supply corridors, have significantly increased access constraints. Compounding these challenges, widespread fuel shortages are now posing a serious threat to the continuity and effectiveness of humanitarian operations across affected regions. Air transport has also been affected, with UNHAS experiencing fuel supply issues.
In 2025, the health sector continues to face significant challenges, with 67 out of 75 health districts impacted by various crises, including floods, insecurity, geographic and financial barriers, limited mobility of qualified health personnel, and population displacements. Access to essential health services for pregnant women and children under five remains low because of these constraints. Furthermore, 1,938,811 people (88%) living in at-risk regions out of a targeted population of 2,197,248 did not receive adequate health services — among them 414,071 pregnant women and 1,022,706 children under five, according to DHIS2. During the first 39 weeks of 2025, Mali monitored several epidemic-prone diseases. Five diphtheria cases were confirmed from 119 tests; no deaths were reported. Dengue fever saw 612 confirmed cases from 3,044 samples—a 13.7% decrease from 2024. Meningitis cases rose to 100 (up 25% from 2024). Measles cases dropped to 165 from 224 in 2024. No yellow fever cases were detected among 206 samples. Of 548 acute flaccid paralysis samples, 496 were negative and 52 are pending.
Ongoing insecurity continues to disrupt education, with 2,036 schools nonfunctional due to insecurity as of June 2025 (updated data on affected schools are expected shortly after classes resume). In addition, challenges such as flooding affecting over 108 schools as of the end of September, and the occupation of schools by displaced people, have emerged. Furthermore, a planned teachers' strike may further impact the reopening of schools for the 2025–2026 academic year. Like other Sahelian countries, the reporting period of July to September coincides with the lean season in Mali—a time marked by heightened seasonal hunger, malnutrition, and increased morbidity rates as household food reserves are typically depleted. According to the Cadre Harmonisé (CH3.0) analysis conducted in March 2025, it is estimated that between June and August 2025, over 1.5 million people in Mali would face crisis to emergency levels of food insecurity (IPC Phases 3 and 4). Alarmingly, 2,645 individuals were projected to be at risk of famine-like conditions (IPC Phase 5).
While floods continued to occur in 2025, their impact was notably less severe than in the previous year. By September 2025, there had been 44 flood incidents affecting 2,680 households, resulting in 24 deaths and impacting 10,367 children (including 5,418 girls). Only two schools and one health center were reported as affected or occupied. In contrast, during the same period in 2024, the situation was much more critical, with 649 flood incidents, 47,296 affected households, 76 deaths, 115,738 children (including 56,737 girls) impacted, and significant damage to 111 schools and 33 health centers. In the WASH sector, floods damaged 14,201 latrines and 5,051 wells in 2024, compared to 636 latrines and 182 wells in 2025. Although these figures are lower in 2025, several infrastructures remain vulnerable, and further efforts are needed to ensure safe and sustainable access to water and sanitation.