Mali - A recent resurgence of communal violence and armed conflict in northern Mali has displaced thousands more people over the past few months.

This week, Mali’s Commission on Movement of Population (CMP) reported an increase of 14,223 internally displaced persons (IDPs) since February, bringing the total number of people uprooted by violence across the country to 58,985 individuals (10,248 households).

Most of the newly displaced people are clustered in the Timbuktu region due to recent violent conflict in the nearby commune of Gourma-Rharous. 

Nationally, the Timbuktu region continues to host the highest number of IDPs (22,328), followed by Segou (10,794) and Menaka (10,381). 

Several months ago, communal violence appeared to have abated, prompting the UN Migration Agency (IOM) to step up return and reintegration assistance for IDPs wishing to go home. At the time, IOM expressed hope that all displaced people could potentially return to their communities of origin by year’s end if there was no re-occurrence of conflict and there was sufficient humanitarian assistance to do so.

IOM says more financial support is necessary to assist vulnerable communities. It also renews its call to all groups in Mali to work toward stability and peace, avoid further displacement and do everything possible to enable displaced families to return home.

The IOM mission in Mali continues to work with the Government of Mali to provide up-to-date information on movements of IDPs and returnees as well as on the needs of the populations affected by conflict, as part of the country’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) programme.

IOM also continues its community stabilization work, including the rehabilitation of damaged houses in areas affected by conflict, delivery of core relief items, psychosocial and reintegration assistance, and income-generation and skills-building activities.

For further information, please contact: Aminta Dicko, IOM Mali. Tel: +223 90 50 00 07, Email: adicko@iom.int.