According to UNHCR, the situation in Burkina Faso has been "one of the fastest growing displacement and protection crises in the world”. In January 2020, more than 600,000 people were internally displaced in Burkina Faso (a country with a total population of just over 20 million); now the number has risen to 1.9 million. Today, Burkina Faso has the largest number of displaced people in the Sahel. Burkina Faso has become the epicentre of the Sahelian crisis, due to its increasing levels of violence, systematic killings, kidnappings and looting, and a humanitarian response requiring scale-up.

Massive displacement, lack of food, water, and shelter, and an ongoing climate of extreme violence make it difficult for patients to access essential health services. In addition to the physical danger of travelling to health facilities in insecure areas, many health facilities are no longer functioning. As functional health centres and referral pathways become scarce, the number of violent attacks and overall medical needs continue to rise.

The magnitude of the crisis in Burkina Faso and the difficulties journalists face in accessing the affected areas have limited the visibility of the human side of this crisis. It is important to remember that this situation affects a wide range of people, from different backgrounds, ethnicities and ages.

MSF now operates in the East region, the region of Sahel, the region of centre-north and the Boucle de Mouhoun region of Burkina Faso. With activities ranging from decentralized community health to the provision of massive water supplies in arid regions, treatment of severe acute malnutrition, provision of mental health care, and surgical interventions, our teams are witnessing a complex humanitarian emergency as it unfolds...