Mali: Obama administration "gravely concerned" about Islamist destruction of Timbuktu World Heritage sites
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration moved Thursday to boost assistance to people fleeing violence in northern Mali, where radical Islamists and rebels have taken advantage of political chaos in the west African country to attack villages and destroy historic monuments.
President Barack Obama authorized the use of up to $10 million from an emergency fund to help the United Nations and relief groups deal with growing numbers of people fleeing the conflict. Close to 230,000 refugees from Mali have fled to neighboring countries, the White House said, plus another 155,000 who are displaced within the country.