Medical group sends supplies to refugees who have fled to Mauritania after fighting in Mali
Medical group sends supplies to refugees who have fled to Mauritania after fighting in Mali
UNHCR, 02 Mar 2012
URL: http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/refdaily?pass=463ef21123&id=4f4f1bee5
BAMAKO, Mali (AP) – An international medical aid group says it is sending medical and logistical supplies to Mauritania to help the tens of thousands of people who have fled fighting in neighboring Mali.
Doctors Without Borders said Wednesday that 28,000 people are camped in the Mauritanian towns of Fassala and Mbere near the border with Mali. They say they lack proper medical treatment and are in urgent need of food and water.
Marie-Christine Ferir, the group's emergency coordinator, said water is scarce in the desert where refugees are.
The United Nations says more than 100,000 people have been displaced since fighting broke out between Tuareg rebels and Malian government forces in January.
Even before the fighting in Mali began, aid agencies had raised concerns about a looming food shortage in the region.
Refugees Daily
Refugees Global Press Review
Compiled by Media Relations and Public Information Service, UNHCR
For UNHCR Internal Distribution
Doctors Without Borders said Wednesday that 28,000 people are camped in the Mauritanian towns of Fassala and Mbere near the border with Mali. They say they lack proper medical treatment and are in urgent need of food and water.
Marie-Christine Ferir, the group's emergency coordinator, said water is scarce in the desert where refugees are.
The United Nations says more than 100,000 people have been displaced since fighting broke out between Tuareg rebels and Malian government forces in January.
Even before the fighting in Mali began, aid agencies had raised concerns about a looming food shortage in the region.
Refugees Daily
Refugees Global Press Review
Compiled by Media Relations and Public Information Service, UNHCR
For UNHCR Internal Distribution