The Government of Japan has contributed US$3 million to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to provide urgent food assistance to 100,000 newly displaced persons and host communities affected by conflict and intercommunal violence in northern and central Mali. WFP will support newly displaced persons and vulnerable host communities in the regions of Gao, Kidal, Ménaka, Mopti, Ségou and Timbuktu through transfers via vouchers, which beneficiaries will redeem for food items from local shops.

More than 760,000 children, men and women are currently in need of urgent food assistance across the country, according to food security analysis released in March.