(New York, 14 November 2014): Addressing the media today following a three-day visit to Mali last week, the Emergency Directors of three humanitarian agencies, John Ging of OCHA, Afshan Khan of UNICEF, and Mabingue Ngom of UNFPA, said that Mali is at a crucial crossroads and that failure to act now to meet humanitarian needs may jeopardise the prospects for peace and stability in the country.
“The situation in Mali remains highly fragile,” said OCHA Operations Director John Ging. “Although humanitarian assistance cannot provide the solution to this crisis, which goes back more than 50 years, it can provide a critical contribution by ensuring that human suffering is alleviated and people’s resilience is rebuilt, while the political process continues.”
During their visit, the Emergency Directors travelled to Kidal and Gao, where they met with representatives of armed groups, government officials, humanitarian partners and women’s groups and visited a nutrition centre. In Bamako, they met the Prime Minister, Minister of Solidarity, Humanitarian Action and Reconstruction of the North, MINUSMA senior management, humanitarian partners and donors.
“Everyone we met told us that restoration of basic social services is a top priority,” said UNICEF Emergency Director, Afshan Khan. “Despite the challenges, we must strengthen health systems especially in response to the nutrition crisis in Mali. It is estimated that 500,000 children will suffer from Global Acute Malnutrition by the end of the year. It is also imperative to get schools back up and running. Some children in northern Mali have gone three years without education. This is unacceptable.”
In each of their meetings, the Emergency Directors emphasized that aid workers are risking their lives to deliver assistance and called for greater efforts to ensure their safety and security. They also called for more funding for the response.
“The 2014 humanitarian appeal for Mali is less than 50 per cent funded,” warned Mr. Ging. “The impact of this is very real: the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) has had to halve its fleet, reducing access to remote locations at a critical moment in the response; roaming surgical teams have had to halt their activities; and we can’t deliver basic school supplies, like backpacks and books.”
The impact of the crisis on women, and the crucial importance of women being integrally involved in the recovery of the country, was reiterated throughout the mission. “Women in Gao had a simple message for us,” noted UNFPA Emergency Director, Mabingue Ngom. “They asked to have legal remedies for the horrendous violence and suffering they have endured, to be given the skills and means to earn their own livelihoods, and to be actively involved in peace talks and national reconciliation.”
Visiting after the confirmation of the first death from Ebola in Mali, the Emergency Directors also took the opportunity of their mission to urge all actors, including the Prime Minister, to take immediate action, drawing on best practice from the region, including from Nigeria, to rapidly contain the virus.
The Emergency Directors of FAO, MercyCorps, OCHA, UNDP, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP and WHO took part in the IASC (Inter-Agency Standing Committee) mission.
