BRUSSELS, April 12 (UPI) -- Without major progress on the ground in northern Mali, the region is headed for a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, a European leader said.
A military coup forced President Amadou Toumani Toure from power last month. Coup leaders said they were frustrated with Toure's handling of the Tuareg rebellion, though northern fighters were able to take advantage of the security vacuum and later declared autonomy for a region they called Azawad.
Kristalina Georgieva, European commissioner for humanitarian aid, said the European Commission allocated $11.9 million in humanitarian assistance for northern Mali. Conflict in the region, she said, hindered delivery of aid, however.
"Many among the displaced were already on the edge of survival due to the Sahel food crisis," she said in a statement. "I fear that the recent violence will exacerbate further the food emergency both in northern Mali and in neighboring countries where refugees are flowing to areas of acute food insecurity."
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay expressed alarm Thursday over threats to stability in the country. She said there were reports of civilian casualties and other atrocities tied to the rebellion in the north.
"Reports also suggest that tensions between different ethnic groups are being stirred up, increasing the risk of sectarian violence," she said in a statement.
