After their voluntary return to Timbuktu, the former refugees were visited last week by a delegation from the Ministry of Solidarity and Humanitarian Action.
The mission traveled to Teherdjé (Ber municipality) to assess the living conditions of returnees and to identify the needs of the 76 households who returned. These families lived mainly in the M’Berra camp in Mauritania, since the outbreak of the crisis in 2012.
The returnees wanted, among others, the increase of food assistance, the strengthening of the teaching staff for the school which received 160 pupils from the M’berra camp, the financing of micro-projects, the reinforcement of water points, the rehabilitation of houses and the extension of the village perimeter.
The other place visited is Adiachou. It is located about five kilometers from the city of Timbuktu and hosts nearly 30 households. A return that gave life to the village where almost everything is to be rebuilt.
A drilling has enabled women to do gardening, but the people want more water points, rehabilitation of their homes, better access to health and education services.
« The situation is not easy », said Amgar Ag Yahia, representative of the village chief. « But we prefer to suffer here rather than stay in a refugee camp », he said.
Facing the many expectations of the families, the humanitarian actors of the region and the delegation of the ministry of solidarity met to reflect on a better care of the refugees on their return.
For the head of delegation, Abdoulaye Maïga, it is necessary to « be able to raise those populations who have returned so that they devote themselves to income-generating activities ».
In the Timbuktu region more than 300 tons of food have been distributed by the Ministry of Solidarity and Humanitarian Action through its Regional Directorate for Social Development and Economic Solidarity.
RedactionTranslated by Mahaitou Ibrahim Maiga