Burkina Faso

Humanitarian Situation

The food insecurity and the malnutrition crisis affecting the Sahel region has severely hit Burkina Faso. According to the 2011 National Nutrition Survey, the prevalence of chronic malnutrition is 34 per cent, and acute malnutrition is over 10 per cent. Estimates suggest that in 2013, around 430,000 children will suffer from acute malnutrition, including 100,000 with severe acute malnutrition (SAM). Malnutrition accounts for 35 per cent of Burkina Faso’s high under-five mortality rate.¹ Preliminary findings from a forthcoming study indicate that the crisis may have affected educational performance, resulting in late arrival at school (69 per cent), reduced attendance (52 per cent) and sleepiness in class (49 per cent). Burkina Faso, with a population estimated at 17 million inhabitants, is also located in the African meningitis belt and has faced a series of outbreaks since 1996, with 6,540 cases and 669 deaths reported in 2012 at a fatality rate of over 10 per cent. Furthermore, a total of 125 cholera cases were identified, with seven deaths at a fatality rate of 5 per cent in the Sahel region, where most of the Malian refugees have settled. New meningitis and cholera outbreaks are possible in 2013.

Possible military intervention and the continuous insecurity in northern Mali will most likely result in about 30,000 more Malians seeking refuge in Burkina Faso, bringing the total number of refugees to 65,000. The risk of communicable and waterborne diseases among refugees and host communities, currently estimated at 35,000 and 31,000 respectively, will remain very high. These populations will also face psychosocial stresses as well as the risk of child recruitment and gender-based violence (GBV), shortfalls in access to continued quality education, and lack of productive livelihoods as a result of their displacement.

Results from 2012

As part of UNICEF’s regional appeals launched for the Mali crisis in April and the Sahel nutrition crisis in June, the Burkino Faso Country Office requested a total of US$22,270,198 for its emergency operations. As of 31 October, US$15,202,510, or 68 per cent of requirements, was received as contributions, enabling UNICEF and partners to respond to both emergencies. Through October, 85,883 severely malnourished children were enrolled in therapeutic care. Over 6,500 meningitiscases were treated, while 669 deaths were reported. Some 235,258 children aged 2 to 14 years were immunized in April in three health districts of Gourcy, Séguénéga and Tougan, with 100 per cent coverage to curtail the expansion of the epidemic. One hundred twenty-five cholera cases were managed by the health services, with seven deaths in the Sahel region. Communication for Development and disinfection activities were organized to limit cholera transmission in and around the affected area, in addition to curative case management. Post-emergency standards for water provision have been reached for all official Malian refugee camps and some host communities. Latrines were constructed in all four refugee camps to meet minimum Sphere standards and were complemented by hygiene promotion and solid waste management. Over 6,100 children were immunized against measles, and 230 children under one year old were immunized with routine Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) vaccines in the camps. During the 2011/2012 school year, approximately 1,600 Malian refugee children aged 3 to 17 years old were integrated in Burkinabe schools. Some 1,454 (764 boys and 690 girls) elementary school refugee children aged 6–12 nationwide have benefited from catch-up classes during the summer holidays. In addition, 984 children aged 3 to 5 also received education support and benefited from social protection services. In September and October, a total of 2,294 children aged 3 to 18 years old have had access to child-friendly and safe spaces in five refugee sites, while partners increased their capacity to reach more children. In these spaces, children were provided with psychosocial assistance and participated in recreational activities. UNICEF is closely working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to verify and assess the child protection needs of 1,062 children registered as unaccompanied or separated. In close collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), UNICEF contributed to the development of guidelines to assist victims of gender-based violence. To assist Malian refugee children, UNICEF also worked on the development of a child protection monitoring system and integrated the sub-regional child protection approach.
* Not all clusters are officially activated, but some sectors, such as education, work under cluster-like coordination mechanisms.
Results through 31 October 2012

UNICEF funding requirements for 2013

In line with the country’s Inter-Agency Consolidated Appeal for 2013, UNICEF is requesting US$22,226,485. Funding will enable the continuation of quality and high standard service delivery to children suffering from malnutrition and those affected by food insecurity and other crises, including cholera outbreaks and the refugee crisis. This funding will reinforce UNICEF’s emergency response capacity to the potential cholera and meningitis epidemics or the potential escalation of the Malian crisis, while benefiting the refugee and host community populations already affected.