Thousands flee fighting in Mali
Nearly 10,000 people have fled Mali to seek refuge in Niger after fighting between the Malian army and armed Tuareg groups in the north, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Thousands-flee-...
Most of the refugees have settled across the border in the near-desert region of Tillabery, one of the areas worst affected by food shortages in Niger which faces a looming hunger crisis according to Alertnet.
The ICRC said the refugees were living in very difficult conditions as only a few were able to find shelter with host families in villages.
“Many of the displaced people have erected makeshift camps on the outskirts of villages,” said Juerg Eglin, the head of the ICRC regional office covering Niger and Mali.
The ICRC is preparing to distribute food and other items such as tarpaulins, blankets and mats.
There are fears that a further influx of people from Mali could worsen the hunger situation in Niger.
In the coming months, between 5 and 9 million people risk going hungry in the Sahel, a semi-arid region just below the Sahara, after erratic rainfall, drought and insect infestations led to poor harvests in countries including Niger, Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Senegal.
The UN Refugee Agency said on Tuesday that an estimated 22,000 people have fled from Mali to neighbouring countries to escape fighting between government troops and armed rebels that has caused dozens of casualties on either side, according to Al Jazeera.
The combat began on January 17, when the Azawad National Liberation Movement (MNLA) launched an attack in northern Mali - the largest offensive by Tuareg rebels since 2009 - sparking clashes with the army. The fighting was precipitated by the exit from Libya of many heavily armed Tuareg fighters who had been fighting for Gaddafi.
Most of the 10,000 refugees who have arrived in Niger are sleeping in the open with little access to shelter, clean water, food or medicine, while a further 9,000 have arrived in Mauritania and 3,000 have fled to Burkina Faso, the UN said.
The refugees are not only Malians, they include people from Niger living in Mali and the Tuareg inhabitants who are fleeing retribution. There is a real fear of a serious famine in the region as more people are displaced and have already run out of food.
The ICRC said the refugees were living in very difficult conditions as only a few were able to find shelter with host families in villages.
“Many of the displaced people have erected makeshift camps on the outskirts of villages,” said Juerg Eglin, the head of the ICRC regional office covering Niger and Mali.
The ICRC is preparing to distribute food and other items such as tarpaulins, blankets and mats.
There are fears that a further influx of people from Mali could worsen the hunger situation in Niger.
In the coming months, between 5 and 9 million people risk going hungry in the Sahel, a semi-arid region just below the Sahara, after erratic rainfall, drought and insect infestations led to poor harvests in countries including Niger, Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Senegal.
The UN Refugee Agency said on Tuesday that an estimated 22,000 people have fled from Mali to neighbouring countries to escape fighting between government troops and armed rebels that has caused dozens of casualties on either side, according to Al Jazeera.
The combat began on January 17, when the Azawad National Liberation Movement (MNLA) launched an attack in northern Mali - the largest offensive by Tuareg rebels since 2009 - sparking clashes with the army. The fighting was precipitated by the exit from Libya of many heavily armed Tuareg fighters who had been fighting for Gaddafi.
Most of the 10,000 refugees who have arrived in Niger are sleeping in the open with little access to shelter, clean water, food or medicine, while a further 9,000 have arrived in Mauritania and 3,000 have fled to Burkina Faso, the UN said.
The refugees are not only Malians, they include people from Niger living in Mali and the Tuareg inhabitants who are fleeing retribution. There is a real fear of a serious famine in the region as more people are displaced and have already run out of food.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Thousands-flee-...