Bamako, Mali, 6 February 2026 — In Mali, with funding from the European Union, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the national NGO AZHAR have successfully completed an education programme to support children affected by the crisis in the Gao and Ansongo districts. The programme supported not only those who had been forced to leave their homes, but also children living in the villages and towns where displaced families had settled. By including both groups, the programme helped restore access to safe, quality learning for all vulnerable children in these areas.
In a country grappling with insecurity, displacement, and the compounded effects of climate shocks, more than 610,000 children have been left without schooling due to closed classrooms, lack of teachers, and climate hazards. This programme aimed to bridge those gaps by ensuring continuity of education and protection for children affected by crises.
The initiative included a rapid response mechanism, meaning that whenever a displacement alert was confirmed, the project quickly delivered a short, three-month package of support. Each rapid response provided education, child protection, and mental health support to newly displaced girls and boys. After this initial emergency phase, the project continued to support children through formal and non-formal education, including accelerated learning programmes to help out-of-school children return to the formal school system.
Around 27,000 children benefited from inclusive, gender-sensitive interventions including educative and stabilizing activities in child-friendly spaces, psychosocial support, support for integration into formal schools, provision of school materials, and teacher training. Community engagement was central to the project, with school management committees and mothers’ associations helping manage interventions and sustain progress.
IRC client, 15-year-old Samah, who was forced to flee her home in Burkina Faso when armed men came to her neighbourhood, said:
“The future is built at school. School helps you realise your dreams. My goals are clear: I want to move up a grade, pass my exams, go to high school, get my baccalaureate. School helps me get closer to my dream. I'm learning to read, write and understand my rights.”
Matias Meier, IRC Mali Country Director, said:
“Education is a lifeline for children in crisis. This program not only reopened doors to learning but also created safer, more inclusive spaces where children can thrive despite the challenges.
As the program concludes, it leaves behind rehabilitated schools, trained teachers, and empowered communities; laying the foundation for continued learning and resilience in some of Mali’s most crisis-affected regions.”
While this programme marks an important milestone, education needs in Mali remain acute. Persistent insecurity and displacement continue to disrupt learning, and without sustained investment, thousands of children risk being left behind. The IRC is calling on donors, governments, and partners to prioritise education in emergencies and scale up integrated approaches that safeguard children’s right to learn.
The IRC has operated in Mali since 2012, responding to conflict and displacement with health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), protection, education, and economic recovery programmes. AZHAR has worked in Gao, Kidal, and Ménaka since 2008, promoting education and protection for vulnerable communities.
The International Rescue Committee partners with the European Union to provide life-saving support to people caught in conflict and disasters around the world. Our work funded by the EU enables people to survive, recover and rebuild their lives.