Key messages
• Intense fighting followed by military intervention has resulted in a volatile humanitarian situation involving population displacements and restricted access for humanitarian organisations in certain areas.
• The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and several NGOs have called on all parties to the conflict to respect the safety of civilians as prescribed by International Humanitarian Law and to allow humanitarian organisations unrestricted access to people in need.
• In July 2012, humanitarian organisations working in Mali agreed on a Code of Conduct providing guidance on how to try to maintain secure access to beneficiaries and prevent the diversion of humanitarian aid.
• The intensification of the conflict is aggravating the on-going food and nutritional crisis with millions of Malians at risk of food insecurity in 2013. Despite a good harvest, prices of staple foods remain high, making them inaccessible to the poorest. Severe malnutrition rates remain above emergency thresholds in certain areas in the south while surveys could not be carried out in the north.
• The European Commission’s humanitarian aid of €78 million since last year has enabled UN agencies, the Red Cross/Red Crescent movement and international NGOs to react rapidly to the growing humanitarian needs. Despite a challenging security situation in the north and centre of Mali, emergency organisations have continued to provide health care, medical supplies, nutrition services, food assistance, water and sanitation support, prevention and treatment of epidemics in Kidal, Gao and Timbuktu regions.