By early December, health authorities had reported over 530 cases and more than 30 deaths. However, the United Nations warns the actual numbers may be far higher due to widespread underreporting.

Mopti and Ségou in central Mali, along with Tombouctou in the northwest, are bearing the brunt of the outbreak, with the highest fatality rates. These regions already face severe insecurity, mobility restrictions, and collapsing public services. Here, the disease spreads amid critical vaccine shortages and limited healthcare access, compounded by population displacements and ongoing instability.

UN allocates $1 million emergency fund

In response to the escalating crisis, Tom Fletcher, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, released $1 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to support immediate health interventions. The funds will enable the World Health Organization (WHO) to deploy emergency medical teams, distribute antibiotics and antitoxins, enhance infection prevention, improve patient care, strengthen contact tracing, and raise community awareness.

Yet, these efforts are meeting a harsh reality: humanitarian access in Mali is rapidly deteriorating. Across large parts of the country’s center and north, fuel shortages, movement restrictions, and insecurity have hampered field operations in recent weeks. Mobile clinics are operating with reduced reach, supply chains are strained, and remote communities remain cut off from essential care.

This diphtheria surge is unfolding within a broader humanitarian crisis. In a country where over a quarter of the population requires assistance, the outbreak underscores the fragility of state structures and the urgent need for sustained support.