A US$700 Million Aid Plan Anticipated for Mali in 2024 – OCHA

By Xinhua 

January 12, 2024

UN humanitarians said on Thursday they are staying in Mali, where most peacekeepers left, and expect to seek 700 million U.S. dollars for a new Humanitarian Response Plan.

“We and our partners are committed to staying and delivering principled assistance and protection services in Mali, working with national authorities, Malian organizations and local communities,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement. OCHA stressed the urgent need for support of critical enabling services, such as logistics, mine action and security that were formerly carried out in part by the 13,000-member UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, a peacekeeping force known as MINUSMA that ceased operations on Dec. 31.

Noting aid agencies need full funding for the humanitarian response itself, the office said this year’s response plan will be launched at the end of this month and is expected to require 700 million U.S. dollars, a 10 percent decrease from 2023, reflecting a prioritized focus on the country’s most severe needs.

In 2023, aid agencies working through the UN response plan were able to reach more than 1.8 million people despite several challenges, including escalating insecurity in some parts of the country late in the year. The Mali junta government, in June last year, sought the end of 10 years of UN peacekeeping, saying MINUSMA operations were ineffective despite the reported success in the defense of civilians and helping improve infrastructure.