By Djibril Ndoye, World Bank Economist Statistician, Theresa Beltramo, UNHCR MENA Bureau Senior Economist, Arthur Muhlen-Schulte, UNHCR Senior Development Officer, and Rakesh Gupta Nichanametla Ramasubbaiah, UNHCR Senior Development Officer
The withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), announced at the end of January 2024, presents a series of challenges for the region. In a joint statement the three countries said ECOWAS had “drifted from the ideals of its founding fathers and the spirit of Pan-Africanism” (BBC News, Jan. 2024). A recent assessment highlights that this move could escalate security risks and further destabilize neighboring regions as well as increase irregular migration to Europe.
Recent events in Mali suggest tensions are not resolving after 12 long years of conflict between government forces and Islamist insurgents. Attacks in September by extremists affiliated with Al Qaeda killed at least 50 members of Malian armed forces in Bamako and destroyed the plane used by the President alongside other aircraft.
The volatile security situation and escalation of tensions in the region has significantly increased those being forcibly displaced from Mali to Mauritania – more than 100,000 new refugee arrivals since 2023. This rapid increase in the last 22 months has more than doubled the number of Malian refugees living in Mauritania bringing the total estimated population to 273,070 as of September 2024 (UNHCR, 2024). The Government of Mauritania has maintained its generous open-door policy and its commitment to humanitarian support.
In the framework of the Global Compact on Refugees, Mauritania made four pledges at the Global Refugees Forum 2019, updated, renewed and made three additional pledges at the Global Refugees Forum 2023 to integrate refugees into national services. These include asylum law, documentation, healthcare, education, employment, social protection, and the transformation of the Mbera camp. But as the refugee population grows, so do the challenges of meeting basic needs in an already strained environment. But as the refugee population grows, so do the challenges of meeting basic needs in an already strained environment.
To fulfil the Government of Mauritania’s commitment to transform the Mbera camp and its surrounding areas into a sustainable settlement, and to allow for evidence-based responses from development, humanitarian, and private sector actors, it is essential to understand the socio-economic profile and the needs of the newly arrived refugees and the host population.
A joint policy brief by UNHCR and World Bank staff, released today, offers the first comprehensive socio-economic profile of the newly arrived Malian refugees. Conducted in the Hodh Chargui region, where most new arrivals are located, this full-sample survey provides essential data on the refugees’ living conditions. The assessment highlights the extreme vulnerability of the newly arrived Malian refugees and underlines the potential for future crises among both host and refugees if basic needs and services gaps are not filled shortly.
Here’s a snapshot of the findings:
- Refugees are arriving with significant pressing needs with nearly one in five children reporting they (19%) live alone with no adult present, and four out of ten refugee households are headed by women
- Housing conditions are very precarious, with more than four out of five households either living in tents (64%) or homeless (18%).
- Water and sanitation services are severely lacking, with only 3% of households reporting having access to a latrine. Open defecation is widespread, posing a significant health concern for refugees and host communities.
- A striking 10% of heads of households are reported to have a disability, highlighting additional vulnerabilities facing the population.
- A third of individuals own either small or large ruminants. The average number of animals reported owned per household is relatively small, indicating that most newly arrived Malians have small herds. The median number of large ruminants (e.g. oxen, cows, camels) is four, with a quarter owning six. For small ruminants (e.g. goats, sheep), the median is four, with a quarter owning ten.
- Nearly 100% of refugees surveyed rely on informal employment. A third report they survive by borrowing, begging, or relying on gifts from others. Another third of the population report their main source of revenue comes from work as day labourers, while others engage in small-scale commerce or sell firewood and livestock products to make ends meet. This paints a stark picture of economic instability, where self-sufficiency is rare, and social support systems are over-burdened.
Figure 1: Main revenue sources reported Note: Author’s calculations
The data we’ve gathered is clear: refugees face immense vulnerabilities, and sustainable investment is key to preventing these challenges from deepening.
This data serves as a first look at areas that require enhanced support to fulfill the government of Mauritania’s policies on inclusion that not only address the immediate needs of people displaced by conflict but also advance the medium-term development of both refugee and host communities. Building on this survey of newly arrived refugees, the inclusion of refugee households in the national poverty assessment (EPCV 2024/25) will be vital to generate the data needed to develop strategies that address poverty and vulnerability across populations.
A deeper understanding of the specific needs of herder families (both refugees and hosts) and impact of the conflict on traditional transhumance movement is critical to ensuring appropriate services are available for families, including in education and health and livestock veterinary services.
Evidence to date suggests that it is common practice for families who own animals and undertake the seasonal transhumance border crossings to move with their families – 79% of those surveyed in an IOM 2024 report. This highlights the need for adaptive services that may need to be mobile to ensure children can sustain education and basic health services as well as animals while on migratory routes.
Further, it will be important for peaceful coexistence across both host and refugee communities and to limit competition for scarce food and water resources that the Government of Mauritania, supported by humanitarian development, and private sector partners, ensure adequate water and food stock is available for both communities’ animals. Normally, both Malians and Mauritanian pastoralists cross into Mali during the winter months as part of the transhumance movement in search of food and water. However, this past winter, IOM reported that due to the fighting in Mali and the associated insecurity, many pastoralists did not undertake the regular movement into Mali, which increased pressure on pastoral resources in Mauritania, particularly in Bassiknou and Adel Bagrou.
To achieve true progress, we must expand existing humanitarian-development- private sector partnerships, form new collaborations, and work alongside the Mauritanian government to make inclusion a reality on the ground.