icrc-annual-report-2013

Families reconnect with displaced or detained relatives inMali and abroadThousands of people, including separated/unaccompanied minors,restored/maintained contact with their relatives through telephonecalls and RCMs, thanks to the Mali Red Cross’ family-links networkand ICRC/National Society efforts in countries hostingMalian refugees (see, for example, Abidjan and Mauritania). Incoordination with State/humanitarian actors, children formerlyassociated with armed groups, including those in a special transitcentre (see People deprived of their freedom), received family-linksand other assistance in line with their specific needs. For example,upon their return, 21 such children had a more receptive homeenvironment, after their families were informed of possible securityconcerns.With ICRC encouragement, the National Society, the authoritiesand ICRC-supported health structures considered incorporatinghuman remains management in their contingency planning andcoordinating their efforts in this regard. Trained National Societyvolunteers helped ensure that casualties of violence could be properlyidentified and their families notified.The conflict having halted the return of migrants from Algeria,National Society/ICRC activities in their behalf were cancelled.IDPs, host families and vulnerable residents meet urgentfood and water needsThe National Society strengthened its presence in northern Maliwith ICRC support, mainly by upgrading its branches and itsMopti warehouse and reinforcing volunteers’ knowledge of theproject management cycle. Thus, trained volunteers monitoredthe humanitarian environment and people’s changing needs, andadapted planned food distributions accordingly.In the Mopti and Ségou regions in central Mali and the Kidal, Gaoand Tombouctou regions in northern Mali, some 365,370 people(60,893 households), including new and former IDPs, their hostsand vulnerable farming and pastoral households, met urgent needsand/or settled into host communities with one-month food rationsprovided by the National Society/ICRC between January andMarch, in coordination with the World Food Programme. Theyincluded some 24,630 households directly affected by heavy fighting,some 14,860 of whom also received household essentials.In Tinzaouatène, Kidal, 7,200 IDPs had prompt access to cleanwater owing to the distribution of water purification and storagekits and the speedy upgrade of water/sanitation infrastructure. InGao, Kidal and Tombouctou towns, over 115,000 residents enjoyeduninterrupted access to clean water, because power plants servingwater supply stations and waste water treatment plants continuedoperating thanks to ICRC-supplied fuel and water treatmentchemicals. As agreed, the authorities took over supplying fuel inSeptember.In northern Mali, women and children protect their healthwith preventive and ante/postnatal careAlthough two ICRC-supported health centres ceased operationsbecause of heavy fighting, seven others, aided with medical supplies,infrastructural upgrades, and financial incentives for theirstaff, continued functioning. By end-2013, support to the Bouremdistrict hospital began, with health authorities’ formal agreement,while the French Red Cross assumed support for two centres.A catchment population of 34,000 people, mainly women andchildren, had access to government-approved levels of healthcare in the seven regularly-supported facilities, while women ofchildbearing age and children, including those without access tothese centres in the Gao region, were immunized against commondiseases during ICRC-supported Health Ministry campaigns(37,150 doses).Farmers and herders rebuild livelihoods in the wake ofsuccessive food crisesBetween April and October, 40,177 vulnerable farming and pastoralhouseholds (240,937 people) saw the hunger gap period throughwith ICRC-provided four-month food rations. In November andDecember, 31,711 returnee households (some 190,250 people)who had missed the planting season and vulnerable residents supplementedtheir meagre resources with one-month food rations.They and other vulnerable households began rebuilding theirlivelihoods, with ICRC support.Over 74,600 herding households (457,000 people) in Moptiand northern Mali improved the health and raised the marketvalue/productivity of their livestock through free veterinaryservices from the State, a specialist consultant and the NationalSociety/ICRC; over 2,620,000 animals were vaccinated and893,000 dewormed – notably at four newly built permanent vaccinationpens. Some 2,300 households (13,900 people) supplementedtheir income by selling their weak animals to the ICRCat competitive prices. Around 112,900 people (20,360 households)diversified their diet with meat, which passed veterinaryinspection, from the purchased animals. Eleven local auxiliaryveterinarians supported these activities after ICRC-sponsoredspecialized training.During the hunger gap period, around 5,200 households(31,200 people) maintained their herds, with ICRC-providedanimal fodder and multi-nutrient blocks, and by drawing ontechnical advice from about 370 members of 32 herders’ cooperativeswho had deepened their knowledge of animal health care andpasture management at workshops.Over 33,000 farming households (214,700 people), includingthose managing fodder banks and market gardens, supplementedtheir food and income by consuming/selling food or fodder producedusing ICRC-provided seed and tools. They, other vulnerableresidents, IDPs and their hosts (160,000 people) had enough waterfor themselves and their crops/livestock, following upgrades towater points in rural areas/along herding routes and the installationof environment-friendly solar-powered irrigation systems;such systems helped notably market gardeners reduce theirdependence on rainfall. Some of this infrastructural work wasdone by 2,970 breadwinners with poor livelihood prospects(17,838 people), who thereby earned income to purchase essentials.Another 285 households (1,700 people), some at risk of sexualexploitation/violence, resumed income-generating activities withICRC cash grants.172 | ICRC ANNUAL REPORT 2013