Burkina Faso

Engulfed in conflict since 2019, Burkina Faso continues to face one of the world’s worst and most neglected humanitarian crises, driven by insecurity, amid adverse climatic conditions. These challenges are pushing many people — already living with limited resources — to the brink of survival.

For the second year in a row, Burkina Faso ranks first in the Global Terrorism Index, accounting for one fifth of all deaths caused by terrorism globally. The internal conflict has intensified, spreading across all regions of the country, leading to massive population displacements. Over 2 million people, approximately 10% of the population, are internally displaced due to violence, making it one of the fastest growing displacement crises in the world. The number of internally displaced people has increased more than twenty-fold since January 2019. While more than one million displaced people have recently returned to their areas of origin, displacements continue and across the country, 5.9 million people, more than a quarter of the population, require humanitarian assistance. At least 25 per cent of this population are women, and 55 per cent are children.

The Sahelian country is chronically affected by large-scale food insecurity that is aggravated by the violence, especially in the semi-arid northern parts of the territory, leading to a situation of severe malnutrition and risks of famine. With the risk of food insecurity peaking during the lean season (June–September) and thousands of children and mothers at risk of severe malnutrition, there is an urgent need for sustained food assistance and nutritional support.

With primary sources of income like farming and trade often disrupted, an estimated 2.7 million people are severely food insecure across the country. Over 466,000 children under five, as well as pregnant women and lactating mothers, are at risk of severe malnutrition. This situation is compounded by the closure of health facilities or reduced services in affected areas, restricting access to care for millions, as well as continued displacements, blockades and repeated attacks on villages reducing the availability of public services.