File photo used as illustration: There are hundreds of thousands of Malian refugees in Mauritania, but humanitarian assistance is becoming more and more limited, warn organizations like UNHCR | Photo: Caroline Irby / UNHCR
File photo used as illustration: There are hundreds of thousands of Malian refugees in Mauritania, but humanitarian assistance is becoming more and more limited, warn organizations like UNHCR | Photo: Caroline Irby / UNHCR

Since October 2023, more than 300,000 Malians have sought refuge in eastern Mauritania, fleeing violence and fighting between Malian forces and jihadists. But even in refugee camps humanitarian assistance is limited.

Thousands of Malians have fled escalating violence between the country's army and armed groups.

As they seek refuge in Mauritania, survivors accuse Malian soldiers and Russian Wagner mercenaries of brutal killings.

At M'Berra camp, aid is scarce following the Trump administration's cuts to USAID, but Ukrainian food supplies now provide children with meals at school.

Yet most displaced families remain without help, straining water and resources in this desert region.

Author: Anne-Fleur Lespiaut

First published: December 18, 2025

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