Food security for 1,500 families affected by civil war

The humanitarian and security situations in Burkina Faso have deteriorated dramatically since 2019. Primarily in the northern and eastern regions of the areas bordering Mali and Niger, armed extremist groups have increased their presence.

There has been a slew of attacks carried out against both the military and the civilian population. Ethnic and also religious affiliations to an extent are being increasingly instrumentalised by those driving the armed conflicts (jihadist terrorist groups, so-called self-defence groups, the military). Human rights abuses are regularly committed by all those involved.

The number of internally displaced persons is currently estimated to be approx. 920,000 and has increased more than tenfold within a period of 18 months (approx. 80,000 displaced persons in January 2019). Approx. 61 percent of the internally displaced persons are children under 18 years of age. Approx. 1.6 million people are currently at serious risk of starvation. More than 2,500 schools have been closed as a result of the armed conflict. There is no healthcare provided in large parts of the country.

Closing the borders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in food prices. At the same time, prices for cattle fell by approx. one third due to a drop in demand. Many farmers have no access to their farmland. The food situation is also always particularly critical from the period of July to October anyway, when nothing is left from the previous harvest and the next has yet to begin. And while a large number of the internally displaced families have been taken in by host families, with the situation as it is, they too are at risk of running out of food.

Those benefiting from the project are the 1,000 internally displaced families and 500 host families in nine communities. The planned measures will aim to ensure a sufficient supply of food is supplied to these households in the short term. Particularly when it comes to the children, long-term developmental defects caused by malnutrition and malnourishment are to be prevented.

The project is being supported with €75,000 from the Redel Foundation.

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