We also launched several emergency interventions, in response to outbreaks of violence and displacement, for example following the attack on Solhan village in the Sahel region on June 5 2021, the deadliest since 2015. We provided psychological support to the people who remained in the village or found refuge in the surrounding communities and referred those requiring further treatment to health centers in Ouagadougou. During these emergency responses, we distributed kits containing cooking and hygiene items and provided medical care through mobile clinics or at health posts built on the spot.

Burkina Faso 2021 © MSF/Mario Fawaz
Burkina Faso
An upsurge in violence has led to mass displacement & severely restricted access to health services.
Our work in Burkina Faso
In spite of rising insecurity in Burkina Faso, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) was able to adapt activities and continue to provide lifesaving care to thousands of people in 2021.

What's happening in 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.

How we're helping in Burkina Faso
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.

How we're helping in 2021
844,300
Outpatient consultations
321,600
Malaria cases treated
225,600
Routine vaccinations
12,300
Births assisted
More news and stories
Learn about MSF’s journalistic roots and our commitment to bear witness and speak out about the plight of the people we treat.

Story Jun 03, 2021
Burkina Faso: How conflict and climate change are worsening a water cr...
Read MoreLearn about MSF’s journalistic roots and our commitment to bear witness and speak out about the plight of the people we treat.
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