38% of households are food insecure and 1 in 2 are at risk of food insecurity in the coming months.
70% of households experienced moderate hunger.
59% of families resorted to negative coping strategies to manage food shortages and 34% adopted emergency economic strategies to cope with income shortfalls.
Only 1 in 5 households reported they can meet basic needs without negative coping strategies.
Bamako, Mali, October 21, 2025 — The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has launched an emergency response in Léré, northern Mali, providing life-saving assistance to 600 vulnerable households, including host and displaced households, who were cut off from the rest of the country for several months. As the only non-governmental organization currently operating in the area, located about 60 kilometres from the Mauritanian border, the IRC is also working with the community to build their own strength and coping mechanisms.
Between late November 2024 and early 2025, Léré experienced several months of severe restrictions and isolation due to a blockade imposed by armed groups that disrupted the flow of essential goods and services. Combined with the ongoing impact of the worst flooding since 1967 in 2024, these crises led to soaring prices, shortages of basic necessities, and increased pressure on already fragile livelihoods, water sources, and social services.
In May 2025, the IRC conducted a needs assessment in Léré and its surrounding villages. The results revealed widespread food insecurity, reduced access to essential services, and growing reliance on harmful coping strategies to meet daily needs. The findings highlight the growing strain on household food access and underscore the urgent need for coordinated humanitarian and resilience-building interventions.
Matias Meier, IRC Mali Country Director, said:
“The crisis unfolding in and around Léré is a result of multiple challenges, aggravated rapidly by conflict and flooding. The mayor invited our teams to enter the town and assess the needs of the population; our data shows the harsh reality that the population have been living in; the fact that 70% of households do not have adequate food should be untenable.
As a logical follow-up, the IRC - in close collaboration with local authorities - launched a response targeted at the most vulnerable in Léré and eight surrounding villages to ensure dignified, equitable and secure distribution of cash.
The support of the authorities was crucial to the distribution activities in Léré, from the needs assessment to the targeting and the first distribution.“
The IRC is implementing a cash assistance programme that provides 64,000 CFA francs (about USD 110) to 600 vulnerable households, including 354 host and 246 displaced families, to help them meet their immediate food and non-food needs. The response also includes two rounds of cash distributions and the construction of a basic water supply system to strengthen community resilience.
The IRC remains committed to supporting the people of Léré and surrounding villages, focusing on restoring dignity, improving food security, expanding access to clean water, and fostering social cohesion in communities that have endured months of crisis and isolation.