"The humanitarian needs will continue to grow in Mali if there isn't a full commitment by all to peace and stability," warned Ging during a press conference held at the UN headquarters in New York.
"In different parts of the country, hundreds of thousands of people desperately need water, food and to feel secure. The recent violence in the region of Kidal underscores the need for a solution to the armed conflict," he said at the end of a three-day visit to Mali.
In Mali, almost 500,000 children under the age of five are suffering of acute malnutrition (85% of them are living in the country's south), while 1.5 million people do not have enough to eat. In the North, the food crisis has been made worse by the recent deterioration in the security situation, which limits people's access to drinkable water, healthcare and education, said Ging.