The European Commission is increasing by €5 million its humanitarian funding in Mali. This will bring new European support to the victims of extreme food insecurity and renewed violence in the north of the country. The new assistance package brings the total humanitarian aid funding to Mali in 2014 to €40 million.
"Hunger and conflict continue to claim lives and keep hundreds of thousands of Malians in desperate crisis. The European Commission is responding to the need to scale up its assistance to food insecure Malians in the north, to the newly displaced populations and to the 140 000 refugees in Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Niger who rely on humanitarian assistance for their survival," said EU Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva, responsible for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response.
The new funding will provide emergency food assistance to more than one million people, including pastoralists who have lost their herds due to this year's particularly long lean season. The newly displaced will also be targeted with aid, including the provision of water and sanitation facilities in the areas where they have found shelter. Malian refugees in the neighbouring countries will also continue to receive humanitarian assistance thanks to the new aid decision.
Part of the European assistance will contribute to the continuation of a humanitarian air service: essential given the frequency of targeted attacks and explosive devices on the roads.
Background
Renewed conflict in northern Mali between the Malian army and armed groups has led to new population displacements since May. Access to basic services remains interrupted due to the lack of progress in the negotiations between the various sides in the conflict.
In parallel, Mali is affected by a lingering food and nutrition crisis: 3.7 million Malians are threatened by food shortages and more than half a million children are at risk of malnutrition.
Access to the people in need of assistance is a growing concern. Security incidents are more and more frequent and hamper the work of humanitarian organisations which attempt to provide vital services such as food assistance and healthcare in the North.
The European Commission has released €178 million to assist Malians since the beginning of the conflict in 2012.
For more information
The European Commission's humanitarian aid and civil protection:
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/index_en.htm
Commissioner Georgieva's website:
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/georgieva/index_en.htm
Contacts : David Sharrock (+32 2 296 89 09) Irina Novakova (+32 2 295 75 17)
