In Mali, and in the surrounding Sahel region, conflict, insecurity and climate change-induced disasters have disrupted the lives of millions. An estimated 7.1 million people need humanitarian assistance in the country this year, and 54% of them are children.

In 2022, 1,024 serious violations against children were reported by the United Nations Secretary-General. The number of recorded violent events in Mali continues to rise, increasing from 1,267 in 2020 to 2,228 in 2023 – a 76% increase over three years.

Ongoing conflict and insecurity have resulted in the closure of nearly 1,800 schools, mainly in the north and central Mali. This leaves out-of-school children especially vulnerable to forced recruitment into armed groups, child marriage, forced labour and other forms of exploitation and abuse.

In Timbuktu, more than 131,000 children aged between 7 to 18 are out of school (Modular and Permanent Household Survey 2023 - EMOP). The reasons vary – from lack of educational structures, poverty, low priority given to girls’ education by some parents, social norms and displacement due to the security crisis. Nationally, more than 2 million girls and boys – over 18% of all children in the country – do not have access to education, according to the 5th General Census of Population and Housing of 2023.

Without the urgent delivery of educational opportunities and learning alternatives, learning losses could be irreversible in the country.

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