Conflict in Burkina Faso

Almost 1 million people have been forced to flee their homes due to extremist violence.

Efforts by both government forces and local militias to fight it have uprooted even more communities.

Major attacks by Islamist militants were launched in 2016 on hotels and restaurants in the capital, Ouagadougou.

Increased violence through 2019 has continued in 2020, and the situation is not getting any better.

Some of the families forced to flee are able to stay with relatives or friends, but many more are in crowded camps or buildings such as schools.

The insecurity and instability make it difficult for aid workers to reach some of the people in need, and coronavirus is making the situation even worse.

A lack of resources is further hampering aid efforts across the country’s 13 regions – all of which are hosting displaced people.

Right now, Burkina Faso is one of the fastest-growing displacement crises in the continent.

*Images credit: Anne Mimault/Help

Conflict and poverty will make the situation even more difficult for families in the face of a potential coronavirus outbreak.

In overcrowded spaces, like urban settlements and camps, shelter is extremely vital. It enables families to apply physical distancing and isolate where necessary.

Despite the many challenges for humanitarian organisations, including travel restrictions, we have been working with our new partner Help to support the most vulnerable communities. Distributions of aid for our pilot project are now complete, but we’re planning to support more families in the future.

Our partner Help has adopted mitigation measures, which include the use of antibacterial gel, masks, gloves and physical distancing.

Help has also used aid distributions to provide more information about coronavirus to rural communities.

We are committed to reaching the communities who are most vulnerable, and who need urgent support.

Our initial project was delayed, however, the ShelterBox aid was already in Burkina Faso. Rather than wait, we agreed with our partner to redirect the aid to another area, the Centre Nord region, where aid was badly needed.

Earlier this year, heavy rain in the Centre-Nord region triggered floods that have devastated several camps for Internally Displaced People (IDPs). High winds also caused damage to existing shelters. We decided to redirect all the aid items to the Centre Nord region as an urgent priority.

We have supported affected families with tarpaulins, kitchen sets, water carriers, sleeping mats, high thermal blankets, mosquito nets and solar lights.

Together with our partner, we have ensured that families receive the emergency aid they need during this difficult time.