Posted by Anaïde Nahikian on February 21, 2012  |   Comment  |   Subscribe

 
Aid workers are facing a complex humanitarian crisis in Northern Mali, as conflict, increased displacement, and food insecurity continue to worsen in the region. UNHCR has estimated  that nearly 45,000 Malians have been displaced, due to violence in the north. The on-going security crisis is severely exacerbating food insecurity, according to Catholic Relief Services (CRS), and is hindering the access of humanitarian professionals to those populations in need. While limited emergency relief continues to be distributed, aid agencies aim to scale up their activities in the north, despite logistical constraints, such restrictions on access, vast distances, low population density, and irregular population movements. Currently, agencies are attempting to negotiate with all parties in the north in hopes of opening and maintaining secure humanitarian access.
 
This situation demonstrates the on-going challenge faced by humanitarian workers confronted with insecurity and restricted access in crisis zones. Under International Humanitarian Law (IHL), the core purpose of emergency relief is to assist the public authorities in fulfilling their obligation to provide life-saving assistance to the population. However, in the present case of Mali, organizations have expressed growing concern about their capacity to assist in this escalating crisis. According to CRS, “aid agency interventions are going to be insufficient and the government of Mali will need to step up its reaction.” Considering the current “no-go” areas in the north, continued negotiation must take place with authorities in order to grant secure access, particularly in light of the fact that increased insecurity is a key factor preventing expansion of humanitarian activities to those regions in need.
 
In Mali, as in other situations, humanitarian professionals have yet to reach a consensus on methods to guarantee access to designated “no-go” zones, while maintaining sufficient levels of security for their staff. It is reported that NGO Médecins du Monde recently pulled its operations, and other agencies, such as WFP, are working only through partnerships in the north, rather than through direct access. Considering the challenges of operating in such areas, humanitarian workers will need to work with local authorities to overcome logistical limitations, through the establishment of humanitarian corridors or other adequate arrangements.
 
Further hindering the delivery of assistance, it has been reported that donors have been slow to mobilize, particularly due to “mixed-messages” regarding the extent of this crisis. With donors’ increasing demands for clear data to determine programming, aid agencies face the dilemma of providing clear evidence in the midst of political instability, lack of access to populations, and rapid, unpredictable population flows. In view of this, daily assessments of need will be critical to (1) ensure that humanitarian operations are implemented wherever possible, and (2) to communicate with donors in “real time” regarding evolving needs of vulnerable populations.