Access to clean water and sanitary facilities has significantly deteriorated for refugees who fled the crisis in Mali for neighbouring countries, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a report Wednesday. According to dpa, OCHA said the incidence of malaria and diarrheal diseases in refugee areas has increased, partly due to the advent of the hot season in West Africa and partly as a result of growing pressure on existing water points. About 144,000 people have been displaced as a result of rebel activity in Mali's north-east, the body said.
