Violent humanitarian crisis in Burkina Faso requires immediate response, reveals WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme has warned the rising humanitarian crisis that has highly affected Burkina Faso and neighbouring countries in the Central Sahel region of West Africa. The humanitarian crisis is driven by widespread violence and the long-term impact of climate change. This crisis immediately requires response to protect and save lives in Burkina Faso and the wider region.

There has been a sharp rise in violence in Burkina Faso – the number of attacks in the first half of 2019 outshined the total for 2018, with reported civilian deaths four times the total recorded in 2018. The escalating levels of insecurity have led to schools being closed and farmers abandoning their fields in search of safety – this in a country where 4 out of 5 people rely on farming for their livelihoods.

"A dramatic human crisis is unfolding in Burkina Faso that has disrupted the lives of millions. Close to half a million people have been forced from their homes and a third of the country is now a conflict zone. Our teams on the ground are seeing malnutrition levels pushed well past emergency thresholds – this means young children and new mothers are on the brink. If the world is serious about saving lives, the time to act is now," the Executive Director of United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), David Beasley said.

The impact on the current 20 million people living in conflict areas across the region is dramatic. At least 486,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in Burkina Faso alone, bringing the total number of internally displaced people across the three Sahelian countries to 860,000 people. Meanwhile, 2.4 million people need food assistance in the Central Sahel – a figure that could rise due to continued displacements.

WFP is faced with the immense challenge of simultaneously responding to immediate humanitarian needs, while protecting investments made in community resilience and self-sufficiency to ensure that all the gains made in recent years are not lost.