The S.O.S. Refugees Project in Burkina Faso, funded by the Tavolo 8x1000 of the Waldensian Church, continues to help Burkinabè refugees, victims of terrorism. Burkina Faso is one of the countries with the highest number of internally displaced persons due to terrorism.

The country faces severe radicalization from various groups, leading to increased attacks by armed groups and related trafficking. This calamity, which has plagued the country for eight years, is compounded by other challenges such as the impact of climate change and the loss of arable land.

Numerous terrorist attacks have resulted in about two million internally displaced persons (over half of whom are children) and the closure of around 5,000 schools, mainly in the northern and eastern parts of the country. In this context, people leave their villages to seek safety in the center of the country, often fleeing with nothing.

This situation makes it even more urgent to offer emergency interventions to the populations affected by the humanitarian crisis: according to OCHA, 4.7 million people needed assistance by the end of 2022. In 2023, 3.4 million people were reported to be in a state of food insecurity, with 9,000 cases of severe acute malnutrition and 79,000 cases of moderate acute malnutrition.

With the first tranche of this project, we were able to deliver various materials (mats, mosquito nets, dishes, pots, water containers...) and food: rice, oil, and beans to 115 displaced families. Refugee students attending our schools also received food and medicines. Eight months later, with the arrival of the second tranche, the families have benefited from additional food supplies.