Burkina Faso is grappling with an “unprecedented humanitarian crisis” and lacks the means to address it, according to a warning from the United Nations. On Friday, June 28, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric called for member states to provide urgent funding to help alleviate the situation.

“In Burkina Faso, our humanitarian colleagues say the country is facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, with 6.3 million people in need of humanitarian support and protection,” Dujarric stated. “We, along with our partners, are supporting the Government’s efforts to meet people’s immediate needs. Working through the Humanitarian Response Plan, aid organizations have so far assisted more than 730,000 men, women, and children across the country this year alone. While this is a good start, it represents just 19 percent of the 3.8 million people we are targeting to assist. Nearly halfway into the year, the $935 million Humanitarian Response Plan for 2024 is only 17 percent funded at about $157 million.”

The crisis is exacerbated by armed terrorist groups that have severed humanitarian access in many localities, further complicating relief efforts. Additionally, the Sahel region is facing severe drought-related issues, compounding the humanitarian challenges in the country.