Tens of Thousands of Children Trapped in Mali's Timbuktu Siege

Save the Children has said that more than 136,000 people, including nearly 74,000 children, are trapped in the city of Timbuktu in northern Mali, with armed groups preventing the entry of food, medicines and other essential supplies. The charity organisation has reduced their number of staff in Timbuktu in response to the worsening security situation.

Official aid routes completely cut off and supplies dwindling, causing food prices to skyrocket, they say, intensifying the need for a resolution of the crisis.

With the harvest season about to end in December 2023, much of the population has missed the vital opportunity to sell crops, leaving them vulnerable to extreme hunger and poverty in the coming months.

The UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, which has been described as the deadliest place to serve as a UN "blue helmet", is due to draw down fully by December 31, 2023, in accordance with its Security Council mandate. Close to 13,000 uniformed personnel will be repatriated and civilian staff will leave while equipment is relocated to other missions or sent back to the countries which supplied items such as vehicles.

It is unclear if the Mali junta will be able to contain the situation.