NRC in Mali

NRC's operation

We strive to provide lifesaving short-term and long-term aid to displaced people in Mali, as well as the most vulnerable among those who remain.

We advocate for the international community to increase engagement in Mali, focusing not only on security, but also on humanitarian access and the needs of those affected by displacement. 

Education

In 2023, an estimated 1,722 schools were closed and about 516,600 children were deprived of their education in Mali. We work together with local communities, parents and education authorities to provide quality education to children and youth affected by displacement and conflict. Our education teams:

• provide catch-up classes for out-of-school children, giving them an opportunity to jump back into the formal education system
• support community-based learning in areas where no schools are functional
• provide vocational training for vulnerable youth, so that they can earn a living
• support the formal education system through teacher training, distribution of school materials and improving the governance of education at local level

Information, counselling and legal assistance (ICLA)

 We provide legal assistance to conflict-affected people through our services in central and northern Mali. By using mobile teams, we also extend our assistance beyond these areas. Specifically, we:

• help people to acquire civil documentation, such as identity cards and birth certificates, so that adults can access basic services, and children can be enrolled in schools and have a legal identity
• give training to local authorities on the needs and rights of internally displaced people as we provide them with registers and basic office supplies to enable them to issue civil documentation
• help internally displaced people and returnees to access their land and property rights by assisting those who have lost their documentation or whose claims to land are contested

Livelihoods and food security

 In the regions most affected by displacement and compromised food security, our teams:

• provide vulnerable households with multipurpose cash assistance to enable them to meet food and other basic needs
• build stores in vulnerable communities and supply them with grain
• help people earn a living and rebuild their future through income-generating opportunities like community gardens, village savings and loan associations

Shelter and settlements

 Our shelter teams:

• provide emergency assistance to people affected by displacement by distributing essential household items like blankets, mosquito nets, kitchen sets, clothes and soap
• provide housing to internally displaced people and vulnerable people from host communities
• with an integrated programming approach, construct and rehabilitate schools, classrooms, and latrines in areas where we have education activities to make sure that children have a friendly and safe learning environment

Water, sanitation and hygiene promotion (WASH)

Our WASH teams:

• design, build and manage water and sanitation infrastructures within communities and at schools
• inform students and communities on adequate hygiene practices
• construct and rehabilitate small-scale water systems supporting agriculture and livestock activities

Protection from violence

Conflicts between communities have contributed to the humanitarian crisis in Mali. These conflicts generally stem from small disputes related to land ownership and the sharing of natural resources that have become scarce due to climatic effects and conflicts limiting the movement of populations in remote areas.

Our teams:

• prevent and resolve conflicts between communities through a neutral restoration of communication between the parties to a conflict
• hold regular training sessions for local actors involved in conflict resolution
• ensure regular monitoring of the implementation of action plans drawn up by the parties to a conflict following mediation

We conduct rapid protection assessments and respond to specific protection needs of the most vulnerable people as we support community and community-based organisations. We implement plans for the reduction of protection risks and enable a community protective environment. All these activities, among others, are carried out in order to strengthen the protection of civilians in Mali.

Rapid response mechanism (RRM)

Through RRM, NRC addresses the urgent needs of populations affected by sudden shocks, such as displacement due to violence. Following a multisector rapid assessment to identify needs, NRC distributes immediate relief assistance before regular humanitarian programming takes on the next steps.