HIGHLIGHTS
Lean season: 3 million people will be food insecure
Some schools remain closed in the north and center of the country
Customs and traditions, keys factors of malnutrition in Mali
Analysis of intercommunity conflicts in Menaka
16 percent of the Malian population affected by food insecurity this year
The outcome of the meeting on the harmonized framework held from 14 to 20 March in Bamako indicates a gradual stabilization of food insecurity in the country. Currently three cercles (Menaka, Kidal and Abeïbara) are in "under stress" phase while the other 46 cercles and the 6 communes in Bamako are in "minimal" phase. At the same period last year (March 2015), two cercles were in "crisis" phase and 11 cercles in "under stress" phase.
According to forecasts, during the lean period (June-August), no cercle will be in “crisis” phase while the number of cercles "under stress"3 will increase from 3 to 12. The other 37 cercles of the country and the 6 communes in Bamako will remain in "minimal" phase.
In terms of the number of people affected, the analysis of the harmonized framework indicates that approximately 241,000 people are currently in "crisis" phase while 1.8 million people are in "stress" phase. During the lean period, it is estimated that 423,500 people will be in "crisis" phase, i.e. approximately 2 percent of the total population, and 2.6 million people will be in "stress" phase, i.e. approximately 14 percent of the total population.
Fewer schools are functional in the center of the country
The number of schools closed in the Mopti region in the center of the country has increased since the start of the academic year five months ago. This degradation of the situation is mainly linked to insecurity. According to the Education Academy in the region of Mopti, the number of schools closed in the region has increased from 67 in October 2015 to 117 in March 2016, which deprives 13,000 children of their basic right to education and leaves 300 teachers jobless.
During the same period, the number of schools closed has also increased in the region of Gao, from 52 to 62.
In the other regions affected by the conflict, schools are reopening gradually. The most significant progress is noted in the region of Timbuktu, where only 52 schools remain closed compared with 93 at the beginning of the school year. In the region of Kidal, a dozen schools have been able to reopen during the same period. In total, the number of schools closed in relation to insecurity in the center and north of the country has dropped from 284 in October 2015 to 277 in March 2016.