A military offensive in northern Mali would have serious humanitarian consequences and requires serious safeguards to be put in place warns a coalition of ten non-governmental organisations today. As the United Nations Security Council considers a resolution to authorise an international military force to restore territorial integrity, humanitarian NGOs operating in Mali have come together to sound a note of caution. 

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is concerned about recent incidents of sexual violence reported by women and girls fleeing renewed conflict in Sudan’s South Kordofan state for the Yida refugee settlement in South Sudan. “We are concerned about the safety of women and girls fleeing conflict in South Kordofan and we are hearing reports of sexual assault while they are on the road to get here,” said Stephanie Puccetti, the IRC’s emergency women’s protection and empowerment manager in Yida.