Burkina Faso — humanitarian situation

Burkina Faso remains affected by escalating violence and insecurity linked to the broader Sahel crisis, which continues to drive displacement both within the country and across borders into neighboring states. Armed incidents have intensified across the region, forcing populations to flee their homes and seek refuge in coastal countries including Benin, which hosts refugees and asylum seekers from Burkina Faso alongside those from Niger, Togo, and Nigeria WFP. Regional analysis indicates that millions across West and Central Africa are living through conflict and crisis, with families forced from their homes and children unable to access education OCHA. The shrinking humanitarian access and increasingly deadly methods of warfare are placing civilian lives at greater risk throughout the Sahel. Humanitarian workers face mounting dangers as they attempt to deliver assistance in this deteriorating security environment. So far in 2026, five humanitarian workers have been killed, nine injured, and 14 kidnapped across West and Central Africa, with national staff accounting for the majority of casualties OCHA. The protection cluster has identified significant impacts from funding cuts on protection capacities, with mine action activities particularly affected as partners lose the ability to mitigate threats posed by mines and explosive ordnance in hazardous areas (Protection Cluster, UNHCR). These constraints compound existing vulnerabilities for displaced populations and host communities alike. Despite these challenges, some resilience and recovery efforts continue. Since 2018, the Sahel Integrated Resilience Initiative led by WFP has worked with national governments and local communities to improve livelihoods and food production for more than four million people across Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger, recently gaining recognition as a UN World Restoration Flagship for its land restoration work WFP. However, the broader humanitarian funding situation remains concerning, with ongoing appeals for resources to maintain essential services. Climate-related hazards add additional pressure, with preparedness activities underway in Ouagadougou to mitigate heatwave impacts through early action protocols supported by the IFRC Disaster Response Emergency Fund IFRC.