Nearly 5 million children in West Africa's Mali are in need of humanitarian assistance, with 200,000 of them at risk of dying from hunger before the end of the year, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday.

"Close to five million children are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance in Mali, including health, nutrition, education, and protection services - as well as access to safe water. The number shows an increase of at least 1.5 million children in need since 2020," UNICEF explained in light of the numerous crises afflicting Africa's Sahel region.

According to the UN agency, protracted armed conflict, internal displacement, and restricted humanitarian access put one million children under the age of 5 at risk of acute malnutrition by the end of December 2023.

According to UNICEF, the number of children under the age of five suffering from severe malnutrition will reach one million by the end of the current year. Among these, 200,000 individuals may die if they do not receive assistance in a timely manner.

As nearly 25% of Mali's population faces moderate to severe food insecurity, the crisis-hit Menaka region is witnessing over 2,500 people, including many children, at risk of famine for the first time ever.

Beyond armed conflict, climate-related disasters have led to significant displacement in various parts of Mali, forcing over 377,000 people, including more than half a million children, to flee their homes as of June 30, 2023. At least 1.6 million children in Mali urgently require protection.

Despite the urgent need, funding for humanitarian efforts in Mali remains critically low. In 2023, only 21% of the required US $751.4 million for the United Nations has been raised, with less than one-third of UNICEF's 2023 Humanitarian Appeal for Children in Mali funded, receiving US$ 8.5 million in the first half of the year.

UNICEF and WFP urgently require US $184.4 million to assist 8.8 million people in 2023, including 4.7 million children. Adequate funding is vital to provide emergency food assistance, support medical services, and secure life-saving treatments for malnourished children.

Despite the dire situation in Mali, the UN Security Council still sought to impose sanctions on the crisis-hit nation. However, Russia vetoed the UNSC resolution that would have extended the sanctions regime on Mali. The resolution, co-authored by France and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), was defeated by a vote of 13-1, with China abstaining.

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Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, said his country vetoed the resolution because it did not take into account the views of African countries. He also pointed out the ineffectiveness of the sanctions regime. The sanctions regime was imposed in 2017 in response to a military coup in Mali. The sanctions include asset freezes and travel bans on individuals and entities the West deems as impeding the implementation of the 2015 peace agreement.

Russia has proposed an alternative draft resolution that would extend the sanctions for one last time until August 31, 2024, and disband the group of experts that monitors the implementation of the sanctions. It is unclear whether this resolution will be able to garner the necessary votes to pass.

While UNSC permanent members are seeking to sanction Mali over the coup, the Malian people have repeatedly taken to the streets of the capital, Bamako, in demonstrations in support of the Malian Armed Forces.

The demonstrators also voiced dissatisfaction with France's actions in the country, a former colony, especially after Malian troops reportedly found bodies buried near the base in the town of Gossi, which had been under the control of French forces until they handed it over to Mali.

Russia has been for years backing the African states in pursuit of breaking the shackles of imperialism, with the two parties reaffirming their intentions to strengthen security cooperation to eradicate terrorist groups in the Sahel region, as well as the food aid that Moscow has been allocating to the states in question in light of the UN sanctions prohibiting the sale of Russian grain to said nations.

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