Tens of thousands of people have been uprooted by fighting between army and Tuareg-led rebels in northern Mali
DAKAR (AlertNet) - Tens of thousands of people uprooted from their homes by fighting between the army and Tuareg-led rebels in northern Mali have sought refuge in neighbouring Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Niger where aid agencies say they urgently need food, healthcare and shelter.
Agali Alkassoum, a 37-year-old secondary school principal from Anderamboukane, now a refugee in Niger, tells his story to AlertNet:
The rebels attacked our village near Anderamboukane on a Wednesday morning at about 6a.m. They came in many four-wheel drive vehicles mounted with weapons and the few soldiers in the small Malian army camp could not resist their assault.
They are mostly young Malians who had gone to Libya many years ago and trained there. When Libya fell apart (fall of Muammar Gaddafi) they returned with weapons and created a movement that wants a separate nation for the Azawad.
We felt insecure. I fled with my mother, my sisters, my wife and our two children to Sinegodar in Niger. It is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Malian border. You know, when guns are blazing people just run to wherever they can find safety.
We were exhausted and tired when we got here. We were shown a site near some dunes where we could stay. People just pitched a few sticks into the sand and put sheets or blankets as roofs to shade themselves from the sun.
Before we could settle in the makeshift shelter, my heavily pregnant wife began to feel labour pains. I was told there was only one midwife in all of Sinegodar.
But by the grace of God when I got to the health centre at 10pm, I found a team of doctors from Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) that was visiting the area. They took charge and my wife safely gave birth to a baby boy.
Now MSF has set up a clinic. People can consult for free. The other day they organised a vaccination campaign and my children were vaccinated. I can say our health needs are covered.
The biting problem is food.
When we arrived the Nigerien government gave us 50 kilograms of millet and 25 kilograms of rice for which we are really thankful. But most people have now run out of supplies. People do not have the means to buy food so we are just wondering where salvation would come from.
It is a difficult situation for some heads of households who have seven sometimes up to 12 people under their care but now have no work, no money and nothing to eat or feed their families. How do you look into the eyes of your hungry children when you have nothing to offer?
People are now going into town to look for food. What I can see is that life is hard even for the local people here. They are also suffering but they are helping us because of African solidarity, which pushes people to help even when they have nothing for themselves.
Then there is the issue of shelter.
I left the makeshift site to rent a room in the town because I could not expose my newborn baby to the sun, dust and other harsh weather conditions.
The Red Cross came and distributed tents and other items that they call kits. Those tents are what refugees are using now. But not everyone has one.
The U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the Nigerien authorities spoke of setting up a proper camp with more security and better amenities in the district of Ouallam, which is north of Niamey.
It is kind of the UNHCR to be concerned about our security and well-being. In fact, they (UNHCR) are here all the time. But honestly, most people here are unwilling to leave Sinegodar to go to Ouallam that is really far off. Others want to stay close so they can cross over to Mali to tend to their gardens or animals every now and then.
They are also hoping that things will improve soon and they would be able to return to Mali.
As told to George Fominyen by telephone from Sinegodar.
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
