Mali Situation Unhcr Regional Update Highlights 134,817
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MALI SITUATION UNHCR REGIONAL UPDATE June – August 2016 KEY FIGURES HIGHLIGHTS 134,817 UNHCR strives to strengthen its data collection and analysis system on Malian refugees in Burkina Faso, . Mauritania, Niger protection issues in the northern regions of Mali, despite increased access constraints resulting from mounting security concerns; . In Burkina Faso, UNHCR continues to promote new approaches to refugee 15,149 livelihoods and self-reliance through entrepreneurship development and Total number of returned refugees in enhancement of refugees’ role within “value chains”; Mali in need of cash assistance . Mauritania, Mali and UNHCR signed a Tripartite Agreement on 16 June to facilitate the voluntary repatriation, when conditions allow, of the 41,700 Malian refugees currently hosted in the country; 33,042 . In Niger, an electronic voucher system was introduced in Mangaize camp by IDPs in Mali UNHCR and WFP for the purchase of food, allowing refugees to satisfy their individual household needs, giving them choice and flexibility in the purchase of items. FUNDING 192,785 persons of concern (as of end of September, 2016) USD 106.7 million required by UNHCR for the situation in 2016 IDPs in Mali 33,042 Funded Refugees in Niger 60,792 30% Gap Refugees in Mauritania 41,798 70% Refugees in Burkina 32,227 Faso Refugee returnees in Mali (UNHCR verified) 24,843 PRIORITIES . Mali: undertake protection monitoring in the north and the centre; monitor and support Mali, Mauritania vulnerable returnees with cash- and UNHCR assistance; advocate for adequate sign a Tripartite Agreement for access to education for all the safe returnee children. repatriation of thousands of . Burkina Faso: strengthen support Malian refugees. to refugees’ self-reliance; reinforce © UNHCR / peaceful coexistence; sustain S.Laroze refugees’ access to national systems. Mauritania: continue support to refugees’ self-reliance; promote peaceful; maintain the education response. Niger: promote peaceful coexistence between host communities and refugees; scale up the shelter response as well as livelihoods and self-reliance programmes. Mali Situation | UNHCR Regional Update | June – August 2016 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS Operational Context Serious security challenges in Mali continue to obstruct humanitarian access and protection of civilians – . Northern Mali’s complex security environment is characterized by renewed threats of armed conflict and ongoing intercommunity violence. This affects the protection environment that remains precarious with several human rights violations aggravated by the prolonged absence of state authorities. Persistent attacks against Malian and international forces, resumption of clashes between pro-governmental forces GATIA (Groupe d’Autodéfense Touareg Imghad et Alliés) and elements of the former rebel CMA (Coordination des Mouvements de l’Azawad) as well as increased intercommunal violence continue to be reported. In particular, fighting in the region of Kidal has led to an observed increase in the overall number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) between June (37,801) and July (39,182). Within this context that the United Nations Security Council renewed the mandate of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) on 29 June for one more year, authorizing a more “robust and proactive posture” in protecting civilians against asymmetric threats. This renewal also comes just a year after armed groups signed up a peace accord with the government in Bamako. The slow implementation of the peace agreement continues to fuel the volatile security situation in central and northern Mali, which in turn further hampered progress on its implementation and humanitarian access. Criminality along major routes in the north, particularly Gao-Ansongo-Ménaka and Timbuktu-Goundam, continues to affect access to persons of concern for the delivery of life-saving protection and assistance by agencies as there are no alternative transportation routes in the region. Also, the risk of improvised explosive devices affects road movements on major access routes in the north and increasingly in the centre of Mali. This is further constrained by poor weather conditions with the onset of the rainy season which has rendered certain highways inaccessible. UNHCR continues to advocate for the need to uphold humanitarian principles to create an operational space in which humanitarian organisation could work independently. – also affecting neighbouring countries and triggering refugee outflows . In Niger, the security situation along the border with Mali is fluid to the security environment in neighbouring countries due to porosity and displacement from one side to another. On 19 August, an incursion of about 200 armed motorcyclists from Mali was reported in the north of Ouallam, close to the border, following clashes between Daoussak and Fulani groups. Military escorts continue to be required for all travel in the regions of Tillabery and Tahoua hosting Malian refugees, whilst border United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) – www.unhcr.org 2 Mali Situation | UNHCR Regional Update | June – August 2016 monitoring missions continue to be limited. During the month of August, some 1,500 Malian refugees arrived to the camp of Abala from the north of Mali in extremely precarious conditions. New arrivals cite the resurgence of inter-communal conflict, and conflicts between GATIA and CMA, and fear of reprisals as their reasons for fleeing. Protection MALI . Since June 2016, UNHCR with local partner Association Malienne pour la Survie Sahel (AMSS) has been strengthening its protection monitoring programme in the area of data collection and analysis with the aim of fostering a more favourable protection environment for returnees. Thus far, 266 protection incidents have been identified among displaced and host community members in the northern regions of Kidal, Menaka, Mopti and Timbuktu with the large majority of incidents recorded in the Gao region. The top three issues relate to extortion, injuries and deaths. Other issues include sexual violence, arbitrary arrests, robberies, theft and illegal occupation. Several incidents have been referred to partners for urgent response and incidents are being shared with Protection Cluster members for further response. BURKINA FASO . In Burkina Faso, UNHCR country representative met with President Roch Marc Christian Kabore on 27 July to advocate for the signing of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. NIGER . In July, UNHCR provided a four-day training on the international and national framework for refugee protection, refugee status determination procedures and other protection measures to lawyers of the Bar Association and magistrates and investigating judges of the special Anti-Terrorism Cell in Niger. On 30 August, UNHCR formalised its partnership with Niger Bar Association by signing an agreement aiming to facilitate the provision of legal aid to refugees in Niger. Education MAURITANIA . In Mbera refugee camp, 103 students had access to the Diplôme d’Etudes Fondamentaux (DEF) examinations in compliance with the Malian curriculum, while another 175 candidates attended examination sessions in June to pass their high school diploma. Refugees’ access to national examinations is essential to ensure the best conditions to repatriate, when they will decide to do so, or facilitate their integration into the Malian society. Final exams also took place in June for some 5,000 students of the six primary schools in Mbera camp. NIGER . In August, UNHCR and the University of Tahoua signed an agreement on the provision of tertiary education for Malian students enabling access to higher education for refugees Students check their results following DEF exams sessions in Mbera camp. in Niger. In the ‘refugee hosting area’ of Intikane, the NGO © UNHCR / H.S. Yakara Hed-Tamat gave a donation of CFA 6 million (approximately US$ 10,200) to support the school canteens and provide a small stipend for school teachers. This is the first time that a national NGO has made such a major contribution to support the activities established by UNHCR, supporting both the refugee and host populations. Food Security and Nutrition BURKINA FASO . Ahead of the end of Ramadan, WFP distributed dates to 26,700 Malian refugees hosted in camps and out of camp settings in addition to the monthly food and cash assistance provided to refugees living in camps. In July, while funding shortfalls prevented WFP’s cash distribution, 24,500 refugees received CFA 4,000 each for the month, equivalent to US$7, provided by the national NGO Organisation Catholique pour le Développement et la Solidarité (OCADES). Until June 2016, a large majority of the most vulnerable refugees used WFP’s monthly food and cash assistance as a way not only to feed their households but also to access credit from local traders. UNHCR remains concerned that WFP’s announcement earlier this year to cease its general food distribution to Malians will have negative consequences on refugees’ capacity to withstand shocks in the short and medium term. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) – www.unhcr.org 3 Mali Situation | UNHCR Regional Update | June – August 2016 MAURITANIA . For the first time in Mbera camp, a cash component was introduced to the monthly food distribution. From June to August, all refugees received a food ration composed of rice, oil, salt and pulses as well as a nutritional supplement. Each refugee also received a