About 23,000 Malians take refuge in Mauritania

Nouakchott, Mauritania (PANA) - Some 22,889 Malians fleeing the Tuareg rebellion in the North-west of their country have taken refuge in Mauritania, PANA learned Wednesday from a Mauritanian NGO.

The refugees have settled in the border district of Fassala Nere, according to the sources.

Some 486 of the refugees, who are women, are pregnant, according to the Association for Research and Development in Mauritania (ARDM).

Also, 5,506 of the refugees are children, out of whom about 400 are suffering from "moderate malnutrition" and 135 from ''severe malnutrition".

The Mauritanian government and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) are considering moving the camp to Fassala Bassiknou, about 50km further west.
-0- PANA SAS/JSG/JEN/SEG 22Feb2012