A/HRC/34/72 estimated 25 per cent of the Malian population continued to suffer from food insecurity. Around 500,000 persons were in need of immediate food aid. 78. Recurrent attacks on humanitarian workers are a hindrance to the delivery of humanitarian supplies. There was a spate of attacks of this kind in the region of Ménaka during the month of September of the period under review. Ambulance theft in the region of Timbuktu was another source of concern. In view of the increasingly frequent attacks on humanitarian workers and NGOs, some organizations have considered suspending their activities in Ménaka and Timbuktu. 79. The current climate of insecurity also hampers access to health services. In April, health-care workers involved in the polio vaccination campaign refused to travel to a village in Mopti on account of the lack of security in the region. In Timbuktu, a group of unidentified armed persons attacked a health centre in the commune of Garba-Koira and stole equipment and medicines. On 5 September, some armed men stole an ambulance in Timbuktu. 80. The Independent Expert welcomes the fact that Mali now has an independent human rights institution that is in compliance with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles). He notes that this institution could play an essential part in protecting economic, social and cultural rights by offering advice and issuing recommendations to the Government, to remind the latter of its obligations under international law. IV. Conclusions and recommendations A. Conclusions 81. The Independent Expert has observed that the security situation in northern Mali is extremely volatile, with fatal clashes breaking out once more between the groups that signed the peace agreement in July 2015. He also notes that new armed groups have emerged and that bandits and rogue elements of armed groups are active in the centre of the country. The human rights situation in Mali has worsened as a result. The thefts and attacks to which humanitarian workers are subjected on an almost weekly basis are having an adverse effect on the supply of humanitarian assistance to the population. 82. The activities of extremist groups in the centre of Mali are a source of concern. Attacks are increasingly bold and sophisticated. The Independent Expert notes that a suicide bomber was killed on 10 October in the city of Timbuktu in a failed attack on MINUSMA peacekeepers, within 1 kilometre of the MINUSMA camp. The suicide bomber approached a MINUSMA patrol convoy on the main street, near the hospital and municipal stadium of Timbuktu, which is an area of the city that is heavily populated. On 30 November, there was a suicide attack on Gao airport. This situation poses a threat to the security of Mali and the surrounding region and is detrimental to the enjoyment of all human rights. The Independent Expert notes that the attacks target the Malian defence and security forces, State institutions and MINUSMA contingents. The security situation in central and northern Mali remains unstable. 83. The insufficient presence of Malian security forces outside Bamako and the main cities is a source of concern. This weak security presence, coupled with widespread poverty and inequalities, allows terrorism to flourish. In previous reports, the Independent Expert had highlighted that the extremist group aspect of the security situation in Mali was highly complex and extended beyond the country’s borders. In his view, the international community and other countries in the region should help Mali to develop a comprehensive, holistic approach to the issue of security. 84. The Independent Expert wishes to emphasize that, in order to establish lasting peace, it is necessary to end the impunity surrounding both past and present human rights violations and abuses. A strategy must be developed to ensure that perpetrators GE.17-02058 15