Where we work
UNICEF works across Mali to improve children’s lives
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UNICEF has continuously been working for the rights and wellbeing of children in Mali since 1960. In addition to its main office in Mali’s capital, Bamako, UNICEF operates five field offices in Mopti, Gao, Timbuktu, Sikasso and Kayes, working with the Government of Mali at decentralized level to ensure children in the most vulnerable areas of the country are supported and protected.
Mopti
UNICEF opened its field office in Mopti in 2008 and currently has 20 staff on the ground, working in the areas of Health, Nutrition, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Education, Child Protection and Communication for Development. In Mopti, UNICEF specifically looks to address the issues of displaced populations, closed schools, the reintegration of out-of-school children, prevention of malnutrition, increased immunization coverage, provision of social services to children on the move or in conflict-affected areas, and the prevention of child marriage.
Timbuktu
UNICEF opened its field office in Timbuktu in January 2016 and currently employs six people in the areas of health / nutrition, education, water, sanitation, and hygiene. In Timbuktu, UNICEF is working to address the immediate needs of conflict-affected children through emergency response mechanisms for the return of all children to school, the reduction of severe acute malnutrition and the improvement of living conditions and hygiene. UNICEF is also working to provide integrated services to the most vulnerable children, particularly displaced and nomadic children and children in crisis-affected areas. At the same time, UNICEF is working to build community resilience over the long term so that people can cope with shocks, including crop failures, food shortages and limited access to social services.
Gao
UNICEF opened its field office in Gao in 2013 and currently has 14 staff on the ground, working in the areas of Health, Nutrition, Education, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Child Protection and Communication for Development. The Gao field office also covers the Ménaka and Kidal regions. In Gao, UNICEF works to respond to immediate protection needs for conflict-affected children faced with protection violations such as gender-based violence or association with armed groups. In parallel, UNICEF works to provide lifesaving treatment to children with severe acute malnutrition and temporary mechanisms to provide learning to children affected school closures. In parallel, UNICEF works to build community resilience over the long term to ensure populations are equipped to cope with shocks, including poor harvests, food shortages and limited access to social services.
Kayes
UNICEF opened its field office in Kayes in 2013 and currently has ten staff on the ground, working in operations and the areas of Health, Nutrition, Education, Child Protection and Communication for Development. In Kayes, UNICEF specifically looks to contribute to the reduction of child marriage and FGM through community-led change, the reintegration of out-of-school children, including those in child labour and in child marriage, and providing integrated services to the most vulnerable children, particularly in the most rural and isolated areas and in areas with gold mining.
Sikasso
UNICEF opened its field office in Sikasso in 2013 and currently has 16 staff on the ground, working in the areas of Health, Nutrition, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Education, and Child Protection. In Sikasso, UNICEF specifically looks to contribute to the reduction of chronic malnutrition through multi-sectoral programming, the abandonment of open defection through Community-Led Total Sanitation, improved early childhood development programmes, and the reintegration of out-of-school children.