OCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Published purpose

October 2019 – Over the course of 2019, there has been increased insecurity in the northern and eastern regions of Burkina Faso, including attacks against civilians. This insecurity has contributed to significant population displacements, with almost 290,000 people fleeing their homes and finding refuge in neighboring communities, as of September 2019. These rapid population displacements caused severe loss of livelihoods, stress on host communities’ existing resources, and food insecurity. More than 1.5 million Burkinabés are now in need of humanitarian assistance with over 1.2 million food insecure people and close to 600,000 in need of nutrition assistance. In addition to the food and nutrition needs, which more than quadrupled over the course of 2019, specific needs for shelter and household goods, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), protection and health services also more than doubled, especially for displaced and host communities. With GAC’s support, this project aims to provide funding to the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to bring together humanitarian actors and Burkina Faso’s authorities in order to ensure a coherent response to the ongoing crisis. Project activities include: (1) advocating for multi-sectorial coordination for humanitarian response; (2) supporting operation readiness and preparedness in neighbouring countries; and (3) strengthening the emergency telecommunications system.