Mopti – Deadly attacks affecting the Mopti Region in central Mali since the beginning of the year continue to displace people to the main city of Mopti. Almost a third of the 200,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Mali have been recorded in this region (Commission Mouvement de Populations).

In a region with a desert climate and temperatures that can exceed 40 degrees Celsius, drinking water is scarce. It is in this context that the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Mali drilled a borehole at the Socoura site, officially inaugurated this week to provide the community with water.

“Water is the source of life, and without water there is no life, no hygiene, no health. Before, women went to the city to fetch water, or tanks came to supply us, but today with this borehole we become autonomous,” said Oumar Barry, representing the 712 IDPs at the Socoura site.

“This borehole will facilitate access to water and improve living and hygiene conditions in the site,” said IOM’s Chief of Mission in Mali, Pascal Reyntjens. “However, this infrastructure needs maintenance and it is up to the community to take care of it,” added Mr. Reyntjens.

“If water is a source of life for IDPs, it is now a source of hope and social cohesion,” said Kantara Diawara, Chief of Staff of the Governor of Mopti.

The construction of the borehole was carried out under the project “Reinforcing peace and stability in Mali through assistance to conflict-affected population, youth employment, social cohesion and enhanced border management”, funded by the Government of Japan.

Since 2012, IOM has been working in the Mopti Region to address IDPs’ needs through the provision of shelters, water and sanitation facilities. Through community stabilisation projects, IOM has already built a multifunctional centre for women in Konna, rehabilitated community health centres in Debere, Hombori, and Diona in the city of Douentza, as well as schools in Korarou, Hombori, and Youwarou. Since May 2019, IOM has distributed 46 tents to IDPs in Socoura and 70 kits in Sobaneda.

For more information, please contact Seydou Tangara, at IOM Mali, Tel. +223 76 42 63 59, email: stangara@iom.int or Arthur Langouet, Project Manager, Tel. +223 93 46 46 34 66, email: alangouet@iom.int.