Day of the African Child: Burkina Faso's crisis is a child rights crisis

OUAGADOUGOU, 18 June 2022 – Each year, Burkina Faso like other African countries, commemorates the Day of the African Child in memory of the children killed on 16 June 1976 in Soweto, South Africa, while demanding their right to a quality education. As part of the celebrations, UNICEF’s Representative in Burkina Faso Sandra Lattouf and UNICEF’s Goodwill Ambassador in Burkina Faso singer-songwriter Smarty met the people of Kaya, a town in the Centre-Nord region. The region is home to more than 657,000 displaced people, more than a third of the country's 1.9 million displaced people, of which more than 61 per cent are children.[1]

"This day is an opportunity to celebrate the rights of the child and highlight the deteriorating situation of the child. Children suffer from psychological trauma and violence, lack of food, lack of access to water and health care, and obstruction of education," said UNICEF’s Representative Sandra Lattouf as she visited the Health and Social Promotion Centre and the Child-Friendly Space in Sector 6 in Kaya. "The increase in armed violence perpetrated against civilian populations, particularly in the Sahel region, requires us to accelerate our support and assistance to the most vulnerable populations. The crisis in Burkina Faso is a child rights crisis," she concluded.

This year, the theme of the Day of the African Child is “The Elimination of Harmful Practices Affecting Children: Progress on Policies and Practices since 2013”. It is clear that the humanitarian crisis in Burkina Faso is exacerbating serious violations of children's rights. In Burkina Faso, one in four children is a victim of at least one form of violence, physical or psychological. It is estimated that 75 per cent of this violence is carried out within the family, with both parents as the main perpetrators[2].

"On the Day of the African Child, it is essential that we stand with the most vulnerable children and give them strength and hope. Children are the first to be affected by this crisis and we must do more to support their development and well-being," said Smarty during his visit to the children of the Child-Friendly Space in Sector 6 of Kaya. "The future of Burkina Faso's children and youth must not be sacrificed. Seeing UNICEF's actions reassures me of the possibility of improving their situation. However, each of us must also do our part to alleviate the suffering of children and give opportunities to young people."

In this Child-Friendly Space in Kaya, UNICEF, alongside with its partner Children Believe, is providing educational activities and psychosocial support for children in need. The teams are also ensuring that displaced children continue to attend school and organizing income-generating activities for young people and women in need.

UNICEF’s Representative and Goodwill Ambassador also met with the medical staff of the Health and Social Promotion Centre and held discussions with mothers whose children have benefitted from treatment for malnutrition. Burkina Faso is facing an unprecedented food and nutrition crisis. It is estimated that more than 3.5 million people are food insecure[3] and nearly 700,000 children under the age of 5 will suffer from acute malnutrition in the coming months due to insufficient funding[4].

UNICEF is accelerating its efforts to prevent malnutrition by scaling up information and screening campaigns at the community level while also ensuring the provision of therapeutic food and medical equipment in health centres.

At the request of the children, Smarty performed his hit songs to the delight of all families in Sector 6 of Kaya, providing a touch of hope for these children affected by the crisis.

Burkina Faso ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) on 23 July 1990 and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) on 8 June 1992.

[1] 30 April 2022, National Council for Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation (CONASUR).

[2] National study on violence against children, 2018, Ministry of Women, National Solidarity.

[3] Harmonized framework for the analysis and identification of areas at risk, and the estimation of food insecure populations in the Sahel and West Africa, March 2022.

[4] IPC Acute malnutrition Analysis, January 2022.