The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has expressed strong concern over the recent escalation of violence against civilians by armed groups in Burkina Faso, which has forced thousands of people to flee, straining resources. humanitarian aid, while insecurity continues to afflict the central Sahel. In the report, UNHCR focuses on what happened on the night between 11 and 12 June in Seytenga, a city 15 kilometers from the border with Niger, where Islamist insurgents attacked civilians, claiming victims house by house and killing at least 86 people. Since 12 June almost 16,000 Burkinabé, mostly women and children, have arrived in Dori, in the north-east of Burkina Faso, after fleeing the brutal attack. UNHCR expects more people to arrive in the next few days, while around 360 people would have crossed the Tillabéri region in Niger, adding to the 15,500 Burkinabé citizens already present in the country and forced to flee. The authorities and the local population of the city of Tera welcomed and hosted the new arrivals, even though most Nigerian families lack resources.
Burkina Faso's displacement crisis is one of the fastest in the world, with the number of internally displaced people reaching 1.9 million at the end of April, according to government data. The statement reminds that other Sahel countries, Chad, Mali and Niger, also face a combination of violence, poverty and the effects of climate change. Over the past decade, more than 2.5 million people have fled their homes in the Sahel region. In collaboration with the government, UNHCR and partners are working to strengthen the emergency response. The most pressing needs include shelter and basic necessities, as well as water, sanitation and hygiene services and psychosocial support. However, non-state armed groups have attacked the country's water supplies and infrastructure, including a recent attack on Dori's main water supply.
Regional authorities, with the support of humanitarian organizations, have begun to relocate sleeping families to three existing sites in Dori for refugees and internally displaced persons, while other plots have been identified to house potential future arrivals. In the face of this dramatic situation, UNHCR asks the international community for greater solidarity and support for Burkina Faso, including funding for humanitarian operations to save lives.
References:
https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/sahelcrisis/location/8650