Bamako – In December 2022, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Mali distributed non-food kits to 335 IDP households in the Ménaka region in the centre of the country. This humanitarian intervention came a few weeks after the contribution to the construction of temporary shelters for nearly 500 IDPs from 60 households, who were living in the Bandiagara Museum, a region in northern Mali plagued by insecurity. In Ménaka, the handover of the kits took place from 2 to 5 December, in the presence of authorities and leaders of the affected communities as well as IDP community leaders. An inclusive selection committee helped identify the most vulnerable IDPs, including widows, the elderly, single parents, and people with disabilities.

These 335 people received non-food items, including sleeping and cooking equipment. These are some of the people displaced by terrorist threats in some parts of northern Mali. According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the presence of IDPs in Ménaka is linked to clashes and security incidents perpetrated by non-state armed groups in the greater Ménaka region and then in the Anderaboukane and Inekar circles. “IOM strives to provide non-food kits to IDPs to ensure that affected populations have access to adequate basic goods and supplies to live in safety and dignity. We are continuing our efforts to mobilize resources to support more IDPs in need,” said Pascal REYNTJENS, IOM Chief of Mission in Mali.

In September 2022, the Bandiagara region, which hosts several IDP families fleeing violence and insecurity, also received a contribution from IOM Mali. To support IDPs who were staying in a cultural museum building to move to a three-hectare site made available to them, IOM Mali contributed to the acquisition and installation of temporary shelters. In addition, IOM Mali provided tarpaulins for the construction of 60 improved semi-hard shelters corresponding to the number of households at the museum.

This response was implemented in collaboration with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), OCHA, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and technical and administrative authorities of the region. Through its 2021-2024 country strategy, IOM Mali bases its contribution to safe, orderly, and humane migration on three pillars: Humanitarian Response and Resilience, Mobility and Governance. Assistance to IDPs falls under the humanitarian response pillar.

For more information, please contact the IOM Mali Media and Communications Unit, Tel: +223 90 50 00 06, Email: allmalimediacom@iom.int.