KEY FIGURES
1,843
Voluntary returns to Mali facilitated since January 2016
112
New arrivals from Mali in 2016
4,433
Malian refugees with specific needs (as of 1 September 2016)
11, 547
Malian households in Mbera camp (as of 1 September 2016)
30L
of potable water available per person per day
FUNDING 2016
USD 19.4 M
Requested for the operation
PRIORITIES
Maintain protection and assistance for all Malian refugees in Mbera camp.
Strengthen support to refugees’ self-reliance.
Maintain peaceful coexistence between the refugees and host communities.
HIGHLIGHTS
In August, 2,907 families in need, including most recent arrivals in Mbera camp, were provided with shelters. It is estimated that an additional 4,500 shelters will need to be replaced in 2016. There is growing concern that due to slow repatriation pace, increased number of shelters will need to be replaced in Mbera camp in the coming months.
In August, more than 200 latrines were constructed or rehabilitated in the camp. Despite efforts being made to replace and construct new toilet facilities, it is estimated that by the end of 2016 most toilets will need to be replaced. Additional resources are therefore urgently needed to proceed with the replacement of deteriorated latrines.
The Malian refugee team and a team from the Mauritanian host community played an amicable football match in Mbera camp in celebration of the refugees Olympics to support pacific coexistence among refugees and host communities.
UPDATE ON ACHIEVEMENTS
Operational Context
In collaboration with the Mauritanian Government who has kept its borders open to new influxes, UN organizations and national and international NGOs, UNHCR continues to lead the humanitarian response for 41,792 Malian refugees in Mbera camp. In addition, the organization ensures the protection and assistance of 1,432 urban refugees and 401 asylum seekers, mainly from the Central African Republic, Syria and Côte d’Ivoire.
The majority of Malian refugees living in Mbera camp arrived in 2012: violent clashes in north Mali triggered important waves of displacements into Mauritania, where a refugee camp was established 50 Km from the Malian border in the Hodh el Charghi region. Following the military intervention in northern Mali in January 2013, new influxes of Malian refugees were accommodated in Mbera camp.
On 16 June 2016, Mauritania, Mali and UNHCR signed a Tripartite Agreement to facilitate the voluntary repatriation of Malian refugees. The tripartite agreement reiterates the voluntary nature of repatriation and reconfirms the commitments of the Mauritanian and Malian states towards refugees in both countries of origin and asylum. However, despite the signing of a peace agreement in Mali in June 2015 and the voluntary return of more than 1,800 refugees from Mbera camp in 2016, the security conditions in northern Mali remain volatile. Large-scale returns of refugees are therefore not yet envisaged and UNHCR and its partners maintain their presence in Bassikounou to sustain the humanitarian response in Mbera Camp. Some 112 new arrivals from Mali have been registered in 2016.
UNHCR works closely with Mauritanian authorities to enhance the protection space for refugees and asylum seekers in Mauritania, notably through the development and implementation of a national asylum law and system. Pending the adoption of a national refugee legislation, UNHCR advocates for further integration of refugees by improving access to basic services, such as health, economic opportunities but also to documentation and birth registration.