Surviving in the periphery of the town — the living conditions of sahelian drought refugees in Mopti (Republic of Mali)

This article intends to describe the social situation and living conditions of the drought refugees living in the periphery of Mopti. The complex phenomenon of ‘poverty’ and of social discrimination is explained by different indicators (kind of ‘informal economy’, kind of dwelling, composition of food, hygienic situation). In contemporary Africa hunger has become a problem of those people who have lost their original social and economic roots. This holds expecially true for the drought refugees. The transformation of nomads and peasants into proletarian and dependent outcasts will be demonstrated.