Kongoussi, Burkina Faso – The refugee crisis in Burkina Faso, which has been mired in conflict since 2019, is the deepest in a series of neglected crises in Africa, according to a new report.
The West African country tops the list of neglected crises for the second year in a row, a report released on Monday by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) showed.
With a record 707,000 new displacements within the country’s borders, the humanitarian crisis in Burkina Faso continued unabated in 2023, while hundreds of thousands of people were deprived of access to aid.
The number of people killed in violence doubled last year, with more than 8,400 deaths. Meanwhile, the number of Burkinabé refugees seeking safety in neighboring countries has almost tripled, reaching a total of 148,317, according to UNHCR data.
An unprecedented 42,000 people suffered catastrophic levels of food insecurity and up to two million civilians were trapped in 36 lockdown cities across the country by the end of the year. As armed groups imposed movement bans, little or no humanitarian assistance reached some of these areas. At least half a million people have been trapped in an almost total “aid blind spot”.
With more than 6,100 schools closed by spring 2023, Burkina Faso was home to almost half of all closed schools in Central and West Africa. Around 400 health facilities were closed and almost the same number were only able to provide minimal services, leaving 3.6 million people without access to healthcare – a 70 percent increase compared to 2022.
On February 8, 2023, two employees of Doctors Without Borders, known by the French initials MSF, were murdered by an armed group in northwestern Burkina Faso. This was the first time since the start of the conflict that national aid workers from an international NGO were killed while providing vital aid.
As road access to many areas continued to be affected by security incidents, humanitarian organizations became increasingly dependent on limited air transport, increasing operational costs and further restricting the amount of assistance reaching people in need. Funding has declined, which has increased financial pressure on humanitarian organizations. Just 39 percent of response plan funding was covered in 2023, down from 43 percent in 2022.
Independent media coverage has declined as several international media outlets and journalists have been banned from working in Burkina Faso in 2023. Additionally, the national press has avoided sensitive topics due to the increased risks.
An all-time high of 6.3 million people will require humanitarian assistance in 2024 and more than two million remain internally displaced. Although some have begun to return home, concerns are growing about the protection of civilians. Returns, which the Kampala Convention states must be voluntary, dignified and safe, are expected to be an important humanitarian issue for 2024.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
