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Amid conflict, Army implements plan for income and materials.
The Salvation Army is implementing a plan to assist people in Mali affected by ongoing conflicts.
Following a coup in 2012, rebel groups took control of the northern provinces of the country, driving many people to the south and neighboring countries. In January 2013, France and some African nations deployed troops, attempting to liberate the northern provinces from rebel control.
As a result of continued fighting, approximately 475,000 people cannot return home—300,000 of them are internally displaced with the remainder living as refugees in neighboring countries such as Burkina Faso and Senegal.
At the request of The Salvation Army’s Mali Region, the Army’s International Emergency Services deployed a team to help internally displaced people and is coordinating with the United Nations to provide assistance.
The team is working with local Salvationists in three communities around the capital of Bamako. Plans include a training program to help people generate income through soap making, and to assist 200 families with non-food materials as they live in temporary accommodations.
The International Organization for Migration identified those most vulnerable and in need of assistance.
