Mali’s humanitarian crisis deepened in September as violence, displacement, and the collapse of basic services left women and girls at growing risk. Attacks by non-state armed groups, armed crime, and climate pressures have driven more than one thousand households from their homes, while road blockades continue to restrict access to fuel, food, and medicine. Health facilities face severe shortages of staff and supplies, disrupting sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care and leaving survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) without protection or treatment.
UNFPA and partners are sustaining critical SRH and GBV services despite insecurity and access barriers. In September, more than 9,000 people received sexual and reproductive health services, including antenatal care, safe deliveries, and family planning, while mobile teams expanded outreach to displaced populations. Seven one-stop centres across northern and central Mali provided medical, psychosocial, and legal support to GBV survivors, and community awareness sessions reached thousands with prevention messages. Safe spaces offered psychosocial support and life-skills training for women and adolescent girls, while dignity kits and reproductive health supplies were distributed to meet urgent needs.
The response remains severely underfunded. Only US$5.9 million of the US$16.5 million required has been mobilized — leaving a gap of 64 per cent. Without new funding, health facilities will struggle to remain operational, and thousands of women and girls could lose access to safe childbirth, family planning, and survivor-centred GBV care. Sustained support is critical to preserve these life-saving services and ensure continuity of protection and care across Mali’s most affected regions.
