Mali: escalating sexual violence in displacement camps and conflict zones
As instability and forced displacement persist across central and northern Mali, women and girls face escalating risks of gender-based violence, an urgent concern highlighted by a United Nations agency.
A recent survey from May revealed a concerning surge in sexual violence incidents within internally displaced persons (IDP) sites and active conflict zones in Mali, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN agency dedicated to sexual and reproductive health. The report specifically documented instances of sexual exploitation, harassment, and forced marriage.
This heightened vulnerability unfolds amidst a “critical humanitarian context” in parts of the central Sahel, where women not only confront elevated dangers of sexual violence but also suffer from inadequate access to vital sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services.
The UN agency noted that May 2025 saw a significant escalation of armed conflict, particularly in the regions of Timbuktu, Gao, Mopti, and Ménaka, characterized by a resurgence of armed group assaults. These violent outbreaks have triggered fresh waves of mass displacement.
Severely restricted access to essential health services
The population of internally displaced persons (IDPs) has neared 380,000, a stark increase from 330,000 in May 2024, representing an almost 15% rise. UNFPA emphasized that “women and girls are at the epicenter of these vulnerabilities, disproportionately impacted by the prevailing insecurity and humanitarian crisis.”
Out of the 6.4 million individuals requiring humanitarian assistance, over half are women and girls. Many of these reside in areas where access to both protective measures and healthcare services is severely constrained, according to the agency.
Alarmingly, fewer than 25% of health facilities in crisis-affected regions currently offer comprehensive sexual and reproductive healthcare or support for survivors of gender-based violence (GBV).
Nationally, nearly half of all specialized services in this crucial area remain inaccessible. The most severely impacted regions include Gao (76%), Ménaka (77%), Mopti (56%), and Timbuktu (80%).
On the ground, UNFPA teams are actively scaling up their humanitarian efforts, providing support to 86 health facilities, establishing six safe spaces specifically for women and girls, and operating seven one-stop centers in the most vulnerable central and northern regions, including Ségou, Mopti, Gao, Timbuktu, and Ménaka.
A monumental funding shortfall persists
Throughout May alone, mobile health teams delivered essential sexual and reproductive health services and gender-based violence response programs to nearly 3,000 individuals in displacement camps, with women and girls comprising 80% of beneficiaries.
Midwives offered crucial prenatal, postnatal, and delivery care, while dignity kits and reproductive health supplies were disseminated in areas grappling with both flooding and conflict.
Across Mali, an estimated 900,000 women and girls are identified as needing reproductive health services or programs designed to combat sexual violence.
Despite these critical needs, the humanitarian response remains severely underfunded. From this year’s funding appeal of $16.5 million, UNFPA has secured only $2.9 million. This leaves the agency’s teams confronting a “colossal deficit of $13.5 million,” severely hindering their capacity to assist thousands of vulnerable women and girls.
Crucially, “without urgent additional funding,” the reach and sustained impact of programs aimed at combating sexual violence and providing essential reproductive health services across Mali are gravely jeopardized.
