Between 28 and 31 May, the Under-Secretary- General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths completed a four-day visit to Mali, his first to the Central Sahel since his appointment as UN humanitarian chief a year ago. Griffiths met with internally displaced persons in Socoura village, in the Mopti region, which has been hosting hundreds of people, some of whom have been there for over two years. Mali suffers from the multi-sectoral consequences of a decade of conflict, climatic shocks, growing insecurity, and poverty. In 2022, 7.5 million people need humanitarian assistance, equivalent to one in three Malians, compared to 5.9 million in 2021. Over 1.8 million people will be in immediate need of food assistance during the June-August 2022 lean season, compared to 1.3 million in 2021, the highest level recorded since 2014. Griffiths also met with members of the government to better understand Mali's long-term challenges and called for the provision of protection services and restoration of basic social services in areas where affected communities are located. He appealed to ensure better humanitarian access to affected people.