Mali Islamists destroy key bridge to thwart new offensive

"...Aid group Action Against Hunger (ACF) warned that the opening of a new front in the east of the landlocked country could worsen an already dire food situation in the remote area. It raised fears 'that an armed ground intervention from Niger will cut the last access route to supply basic goods (food and medicine) to people in the region,' a statement said. 'There are clearly cases of acute malnutrition,' said ACF official Lucile Grosjean, adding that it affected about 20,000 children under 15. She said the price of the staple cereal millet had increased by 38 percent, while fuel has shot up to 66 percent in the past nine months. 'People are surviving on a day-to-day basis,' she said."