The displacement crisis in Burkina Faso remains the world’s most neglected, with fears that it could worsen in the coming days if urgent assistance is not received.

Development Diaries reports that a new study by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) raised the alarm, given the normalisation of neglect, which has exacerbated needs and deepened despair.

We understand that the displacement crisis in the country has been exacerbated by the lack of humanitarian funding, lack of media attention, and a lack of international political and diplomatic initiatives compared to the number of people in need.

‘The utter neglect of displaced people has become the new normal’, NRC Secretary General, Jan Egeland, said in a statement.

‘The local political and military elites disregard the suffering they cause, and the world is neither shocked nor compelled to act by stories of desperation and record-breaking statistics. We need a global reboot of solidarity and a refocus on where needs are greatest’.

Armed conflict caused people to move 707,000 times (internal displacements) in 2023, a 61 percent increase from 2022 (438,000). And the number of people killed in Burkina Faso doubled last year, with over 8,400 deaths

Also, there are around two million internally displaced people in the country. The number of Burkinabè refugees and asylum seekers jumped from 60,000 to 150,000 between December 2022 and December 2023.

Up to two million people, including 1.3 million in need, are living in blockaded areas, unable to access aid regularly.

Development Diaries calls on the international humanitarian community to assist in meeting up with the huge response budget deficit that continues to leave millions in urgent need of aid.

Source: NRC

Photo source: EUCPHA