HEADLINES
Seven children associated with armed groups that were detained during combat operations in northern Mali were released and handed over to UNICEF and the Malian government agency in charge of Child Protection (DNPEF). The children were taken to a temporary shelter where they are being assisted and protected.
Some schools have begun to reopen in the regions of Gao, Mopti and Timbuktu. UNICEF is working with the Ministry of Education to help facilitate the return of government educational authorities (including teachers) to these conflict-affected areas.
Sexual violence and the threat of forced marriage are among the causes for Malian women to flee their homes. UNICEF is providing training on the prevention of gender-based violence. So far 51 people – crisis committee members, local authorities and NGO workers – have been trained.
A measles outbreak in northern Mali continues to affect people in Gao and Kidal. Preliminary data suggests that most of those infected are over 5 years of age.
Additional WASH actors are needed in the run-up to the cholera season, expected to start in June. A recent mapping exercise shows an absence of operational partners in large parts of the country that are at risk of cholera outbreaks.
In Bamako, Ségou and Koulikoro UNICEF and government partners organized three workshops on the SMART nutrition survey conducted in the past two years, with the aim of disseminating information on the methods and results of the SMART.
To respond to critical humanitarian needs in Mali, UNICEF requires US $81.9 million. Only 20 per cent of funding has been received, which means an additional $68.5 million is needed to provide life-saving assistance, education support and other aid to the people of Mali.