Mark Gibson sits with a man who is camping under the tree with his family. He brought his tea kettle and glasses all the way from Timbuktu.

The number of refugees fleeing Mali to seek shelter in Burkina Faso is increasing. SIM missionary Mark Gibson reports that he has been working with the UN and various NGO's to help get aid to those who need it most. He estimates that nearly 1,000 refugees have set up in the Djibo area.

"The more time I've spent working with the refugees the more complicated it seems to be," Mark said. Many of the refugees are women and children, and two women have given birth in the camp since arriving.

Pray

• for the missionary team and NGO's to be strengthened and to have wisdom to care for the refugees.
• for an end to the fighting in Mali.
• for wisdom for the government of Burkina Faso, who does not have a budget for caring for refugees and is also struggling to house over 500 residents of Ougadougou recently displaced by flooding.

Read an IRIN news report about this situation

10 June 2008

Hundreds of refugees from northern Mali have descended upon Burkina Faso since April. Fleeing Timbuktu to escape the fighting between Malian soldiers and Taureg rebels, about 300 refugees have come to the capital city, Ouagadougou, and an estimated 600 have settled in Djibo, 53 km from the Mali border and 205 km north of the capital. Some of the refugees are still hiding in the bush, fearful of the authorities.

	Many of the refugees are women and children

Just outside of Djibo, Mohamed, a village chief, and friend of SIM missionary Mark Gibson, has been playing host to 20 large families who knew of him because he also originated from the Mali area.

Mark and missionary Stephen Davies visited the refugee camp to hear some of their stories. "The families had been traveling on foot for over 500 km with very few possessions," Mark said. "One lady who had arrived on foot was about 9 months pregnant and a number of the children were now malnourished."

A team from the United Nations and CONAREF, the Burkina Faso national commission on refugees, has assessed the situation, but as of yet, no aid has arrived from them. The missionary team in Djibo is working to alleviate some of the immediate distress until NGO aid arrives. So far, they have provided 12 sacks of grain to the refugees.

Please pray

• for the fighting to end in Mali.
• for wisdom for the missionary team as they provide aid and work with the United Nations in Ouagadougou to advocate for the refugees.
• for aid to be provided soon.