The Effects of Internally Displaced Peoples on Consumption and Inequality in Mali (English)

A series of civil conflicts in Mali has generated more than 346,000 internally displaced people (UNHCR, 2020). This study estimates the effect of conflict-generated internal displacement on consumption, poverty, and inequality in host communities. Using comprehensive nationwide household survey data this study finds that wealth at the commune and household level is non-decreasing in IDP hosting communes relative to non-IDP host communes. This study also finds some partial evidence of increasing consumption at the household level although inequality and poverty at the commune level remain the same. The evidence suggests a fairly successful hosting and aid process in Mali for IDPs in terms of mitigating economic disruption for host communities.