Bamako, Mali, October 21, 2025 – Nearly one third of Mali’s population of 22 million is in urgent need of humanitarian assistance and protection. These are among the highest levels the country has seen in a decade. Years of conflict, climate shocks, and economic hardship have converged into a deepening humanitarian emergency — one that has escalated sharply in recent months with an influx of refugees fleeing violence in neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger.
Near Mali’s border with Burkina Faso – in the Bandiagara region, which is among several regions in the country where CARE works alongside partners like Association for Women’s Promotion (YAG-TU), a Malian NGO that works to improve the lives of women and children through health and development projects – the situation is particularly concerning.
“Our teams see new arrivals every day. These include mothers, children, and the elderly. They have urgent needs that require a more coordinated emergency response,” says Sidibé Kadidia Cisse, CARE Country Director in Mali. “This influx of refugees, along with a rise in internally displaced people, is increasing pressure on local communities and natural resources. Less food is available at the household level, which compromises the health of infants, pregnant women, and other vulnerable populations. Temporary shelter is among several urgent needs for both new arrivals and all displaced people.”
Refugee numbers in Mali have surged dramatically over the past year. According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Mali hosted nearly 260,000 by the end of August, an increase of over 70 per cent since January. In the commune of Koro alone, an average of 613 individuals arrived per day in August, most fleeing violence in Burkina Faso, as well as Niger. Despite immense pressure on already overstretched infrastructure and limited services, Mali has continued to receive refugees.
Extreme heat waves and prolonged droughts have also driven families from their homes across the Sahel, including in Mali. And according to the UN’s annual report on Hunger Hotspots, Mali was listed a one of five countries around the world listed as “highest concern level, necessitating the most urgent attention” in 2025.
Kadidia Cisse also spoke of the severe risks of violence, including sexual violence, faced by women and girls. “Many survivors are left without the medical or psychosocial care they urgently need,” she said. “Displaced women and girls are among the most affected, facing sexual violence, physical abuse, child marriage, and denial of basic services amid growing insecurity. The combination of conflict, displacement, and limited access to support has created an increasingly dangerous environment.”
“On the road to Koro I feared being attacked, being robbed and losing my husband and brother,” says Aminata*, a 31-year-old mother of four from Burkina Faso who walked four days to get to Mali. “I was afraid I might be raped me in front of my husband and children. The women went out in groups huddled together, surrounded by the men. Every time I heard a motorbike, I shivered and lost hope. I cried a lot and could not sleep at night.”
Despite the immense needs, international humanitarian support and funding for Mali remains low. As of early October 2025, only 13.6% ($104.9 million) of the Humanitarian Response Plan for Mali was funded. Center for Global Development, a think tank, noted in a blog post published earlier this year that roughly 30 percent of US funding to West Africa and the Sahel region was cut. This figure, the blog notes, does not include cuts to non-USAID foreign aid programs, including regional initiatives and bilateral deals. Other governments have also scaled back funding for the Sahel.
CARE has been working with partners in Mali since 1975 and has well-established relationships in communities across the country, including in the Bandiagara region. In the current crisis, CARE’s goal in Mali is to assist at least 2000 vulnerable households in Bandiagara in the coming year by focusing on emergency response through cash assistance, income-generating activities, and the protection of women and girls against sexual violence.
“In this context, immediate assistance is needed to cover the most urgent needs,” says Kadidia Cisse. “Despite the efforts of the Malian government through the National Commission for Refugees, as well as regional and local authorities (Bandiagara and Koro), and other local and international actors, there continue to be unmet needs among refugees and internally displaced. We are committed to assisting the most vulnerable populations – especially women and girls – but no one can do this alone. We need everyone’s support.”
*Personal names have been changed to protect their identity.
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