In Mauritania, CERF fuels hope for Malian refugees

Mauritania | 2024 | CERF

Mali-Mauritania border. "Under a burning sun, everyone’s journey was an exhausting challenge,” recalls 15-year-old Fatima, who was forced to flee her village in Mali and seek refuge in a community near the border.

Since 2023, escalating violence in Mali—especially after the withdrawal of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission—has driven thousands to flee to Mauritania. By July 2024, the refugee population had surpassed 240,000 people. Arriving with only the bare necessities, families struggled to secure shelter and basic services.

To respond to these urgent needs, CERF allocated $6 million in 2024, enabling UN agencies and partners to deliver a coordinated response—including food and nutrition assistance, cash transfers, WASH and shelter infrastructure, and protection services.

For Mohammed, a shepherd and father of four, this assistance was a lifeline. “It was the war, the noise of the guns, the killings that pushed me to flee,” he says. “Now we have a roof over our heads, my two children are in school, and we receive monthly assistance to help with essentials.”

When Mohammed’s daughter suffered from moderate acute malnutrition, she received life-saving care at a WFP-supported nutrition centre, ensuring she got the treatment she needed.

Beyond material aid, protection services enabled by CERF through UNHCR were crucial for thousands of refugees like Mohammed. Registering his family gave him access to protection, cash assistance, and essential services like psychosocial support and education for his children.

“It’s true that we still miss many things from our life before. My wife used to work, and I had livestock. But now, we’re safe. I don’t know how we would have survived otherwise,” he says.

For Fatima, the 15-year-old who also endured that gruelling journey from Mali, life in displacement has become a little easier thanks to a new water tap, installed by UNICEF with CERF’s support. “Water is now just steps from our home. I don’t have to walk long distances anymore, and I can focus on my education,” she says.

Posted May 2025.
More information on the CERF's work in 2024
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