1 million Mali children at risk of malnutrition

  Approximately one million children under the age of 5 in Mali are at risk of severe malnutrition due to a combination of protracted conflicts, internal displacement and obstacles to the delivery of humanitarian aid. A recent report by the United Nations says that among those one million children, 200,000 children are at risk of starvation if life-saving aid does not reach them. "Approximately a quarter of all children in Mali face severe or moderate food insecurity. At the same time, for the first time in the country, more than 2,500 people are at risk of starvation in the conflict-ridden Menaka area, and half of them are children," said the statement of the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund. , UNICEF.

The UNICEF warning comes when senior officials of UNICEF and the United Nations World Food Program, WFP have visited the country a few days ago to emphasize the support of these organizations to the people of Mali in cooperation with the government and humanitarian stakeholders. Ted Chaiban, UNICEF's Deputy Executive Director responsible for humanitarian action and aid distribution operations said, "Mali is going through a difficult period of humanitarian crisis and needs help to avoid a crisis for children who are once again paying the high price of a crisis they did not cause ."

He added that UNICEF, WFP and other stakeholders have been present in Mali during the difficult transition period in the country and will continue to work to deal with humanitarian and development issues as long as these services are needed. In general, about 5 million children in Mali are in urgent need of humanitarian aid, such as health, nutrition, education and protection services. That number is an increase of at least 1.5 million children since 2020. Along with fighting and violence, the effects of climate change in some areas of Mali, have prompted people to flee their homes in recent months.