Mauritania: The Threat of Food Insecurity Looms as Thousands of Malian Refugees Gather in the Desert

More than 28,000 Malian refugees have been forced to seek refuge in the border region of Mauritania due to the conflict between the Malian army and Tuareg rebels that broke out in northern Mali last month. Some refugees travelled days without food to reach makeshift camps in Fassala and Mbéré in the south east of Mauritania.

Today, an initial shipment of more than 28 tons (26 metric tons) of medical and logistical supplies will be flown from Belgium to Néma, about 124 miles (200 kilometers) from Mbéré camp. Doctors Without Borders’ teams are starting medical activities. “We are in the middle of the desert in an area where water is a scarce commodity,“ says Marie-Christine Férir, MSF’s emergency coordinator in Mali. "Even more alarming, these people are isolated here: the nearest hospital is six hours away by road.”

Photo: Mauritania 2005 © Ibrahim Younis An MSF staff member conducting a nutritional survey that led to the opening of the feeding center in Néma, near the border with Mali.