Burkina Faso

In December 2021, the number of internally displaced people in Burkina Faso passed the 1.5 million mark, almost 8 percent of the total population, due to an upsurge in conflict between non-state armed groups and national and international forces. Sahel, Nord, Centre-Nord, Boucle du Mouhoun, Hauts-Bassins and Est were the most severely affected regions.

The deteriorating security situation made it harder for MSF and other humanitarian and medical organizations to access remote areas and for patients to access health care: medical facilities were shut down or attacked, ambulances were hijacked, and medical staff were abducted. This forced us to adapt our projects and support in some places in Est, Sahel and Centre-Nord. For instance, we suspended our activities in Foubé in November after the center we supported was burnt down.

Throughout the year, we continued to provide medical assistance to host and displaced communities across five of the country’s 13 regions, focusing on major health problems, such as epidemics and seasonal malaria peaks, meningitis, hepatitis E, measles, water-borne diseases, mental health, and sexual violence. Our teams trucked in water and constructed and renovated boreholes to address the severe shortage of drinking water exacerbated by the ongoing conflict.