adminFighting over the last four years has killed hundreds of people in Mali. There are fewer battles involving government troops, separatists and al-Qaeda fighters but the war is far from over. As a result, more than 250,000 children in Mali are living without a father, mother or both parents, according to the UN.
Aid workers say the number has risen in the last four years, with many orphans living in refugee camps along the Mali-Mauritania border.
“Orphans are the most vulnerable among refugees,” Tin Albarka Walt Alhassan, a nurse, told Al Jazeera.
“The children who lost their fathers rely on mothers. These children need more help, care and protection.”
Condition at a Mauritanian refugee camp that houses displaced Malians are dire. There are no dedicated organisations or groups taking care of orphans.
“Whatever they’re offering me isn’t enough,” Maryama Walt Mahmoud, a widow, said.
“The aid runs out within days and I can’t afford to feed them [her four children]. On special occasions, I can’t afford to buy them clothes. We’re living in catastrophic conditions. We spend days without food.” — AFP
Online Reporter
derick.khumalo