Impact of Deteriorating Security in Mali on Border Areas: Analysis as of November 2024

The deteriorating security situation in Mali has adversely impacted border areas between Mauritania and Senegal. Nearly all localities in Tombouctou and many in Ségou report effects of insecurity, with significant population displacements and flooding reported. Between July and October 2024, 97% of Tombouctou’s and 73% of Ségou’s localities faced one or more security-related shocks, necessitating urgent humanitarian responses.

The humanitarian situation in Mali’s border areas has severely deteriorated, particularly affecting localities in Tombouctou and Ségou between July and October 2024. REACH’s Humanitarian Situation Monitoring indicates that 97 percent of evaluated localities in Tombouctou and 73 percent in Ségou have experienced diverse shocks linked to insecurity, violence, and looting. Notably, all surveyed localities in the Goundam and Gourma-Rharous circles encountered these challenges, while 97 percent of localities in Niafunké, adjacent to Mauritania, were similarly impacted.

Additional adversities reported include widespread flooding, impacting 72 percent of localities in Tombouctou and 62 percent in Ségou, along with a sudden rise in basic market prices affecting 58 percent and 43 percent of localities in the respective regions. The compounded effects of insecurity and natural disasters have significantly destabilized these areas.

Furthermore, there have been alarming reports of population displacements across the assessed regions. Key informants noted that 34 percent of localities in Tombouctou and 23 percent in Ségou experienced forced migrations. Typically, these migrations were confined within the same region, with less than 25 percent of local populations fleeing. However, in Ségou, about 24 percent of localities saw a significantly higher percentage—over 50 percent—of their inhabitants displaced.

In summary, the alarming deterioration of the security situation in Mali has profound repercussions on the border areas of Mauritania, Senegal, and Guinea. The overwhelming impact of violence, looting, and flooding has left a vast majority of localities affected, leading to significant population displacements. These findings underscore the need for urgent humanitarian intervention in the region to address both security and health concerns.

Original Source: www.unocha.org