AFRICA/MALI - Three million people are suffering food insecurity, among them 715,000 children

Bamako (Agenzia Fides) - More than 3 million people in Mali (one-fifth of the population) live in conditions of food insecurity, according to the specialized agencies of the United Nations. The north is the most critical region, where the situation of security remains precarious even after the expulsion of the jihadist groups that had conquered the region in 2012.
The war has forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee from their homes. According to the latest UN figures, about 136,000 refugees in neighboring countries and 90,000 internally displaced persons have returned home, but hundreds of thousands of people are still living in camps.
In order to survive, according to FAO, 10 to 15% of the population of Mali was forced to borrow money, to sell their cattle or to be involved in illegal activities. Children are among the most affected: according to the UN's humanitarian coordination (OCHA), 715,000 children under five suffer from severe malnutrition in the north of the Country. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 09/09/2015)