Mauritania

With its decades-old open-door policy, Mauritania hosts over 71,000 Malian refugees in the arid southeast Hodh Chargui region where the Mbera camp is located. At the same time, more than 11,000 refugees and asylum-seekers comprising 40 different nationalities live in Nouakchott and Nouadhibou. With the volatile security situation in Mali, largescale returns are not expected, and a low-scale influx continues.

At the government’s request and using the Refugee Coordination Model, UNHCR coordinates an interagency humanitarian response with national and local authorities in the refugee-hosting Hodh Chargui region.

UNHCR’s strategy in Mauritania is to ensure refugees access adequate protection and assistance and, at the same time, are progressively included in national services and systems. UNHCR also engages directly with refugee and host communities to strengthen their decision-making, participation and self-reliance within the broader pursuit of durable solutions.