Sahel Edition

Burkina Faso: Quarter million people forced to abandon their homes so far this year

Posted On 15 July 2021

Number of times this article was read : 147
More than 237,000 people have been forced to abandon their homes in the past six months in Burkina Faso, a country facing deadly jihadist attacks, bringing the total number of displaced to more than 1.3 million, the government has announced.  A government spokesman reporting the new numbers Wednesday said that the majority of the displaced people — some 60 percent — are children, while women make up a further 23 percent.
“237,078 internally displaced persons were registered in the first half of 2021, increasing the number of internally displaced persons from 1,074,993 as of December 31, 2020 to 1,312,071 as of June 30, 2021,” said Ousseni Tamboura.  Tamboura was speaking after the government studied a report on the humanitarian situation in the poor west African nation, which has a total population of more than 20 million, according to UN estimates.
According to the National Council for Emergency Relief (CONASUR), 271 municipal areas have been impacted, mostly in the centre, north and east of the country, the regions most affected by the attacks.   “Faced with this situation, a distribution of 30,000 tonnes of cereals has been carried out since March 31, managing to reach about 848,925 people, including more than 400,000 displaced persons and other groups of vulnerable people, particularly victims of natural disasters,” Tamboura said.
Burkina Faso, a landlocked and partly arid Sahel nation, has since 2015 been confronted with increasingly frequent and deadly attacks by forces including the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (affiliated with Al-Qaeda) and the Islamic State in the Great Sahara. Security forces are struggling to stem the spiral of jihadist violence which has killed more than 1,500 people since 2015.
AFP
Other Articles in this Week's Issue<< Covid-19: Covid cases in Libya hit new high, country faces critical situationLibya: Migrants returned to Libya by Europe suffer “horrific violations’ >>

More on the Sahel

Brief: Fifteen Migrants Found Dead in a Boat off the Coast of Nouadhibou, Mauritania

Mauritanian authorities discovered a boat near Nouadhibou carrying 39 migrants, including nine deceased and ten in critical condition. Survivors, primarily from Senegal and Mali, reported that fifteen migrants died from exhaustion, though not all bodies were found. The deceased were buried by local authorities. Mauritania has become a key transit point for African migrants attempting to reach Europe via the Canary Islands.

Mali Keeps Pressuring Algeria, Accusing it of Interference

Mali has accused Algeria of interference and supporting terrorist groups after top Algerian diplomat criticized its counter-terrorism strategy. Bamako alleges Algeria maintains ties to insurgent groups, a reference to the Toureg tribes, 

Sahel: Mali and Canadian mining firm Barrick are talking again

Mali’s junta and Canadian gold mining firm Barrick Gold went back to the negotiating table to find a compromise in their ongoing feud.  The two spent months fighting over the Loulo-Gounkoto gold mine, where the Malian authorities recently seized nearly three tons of gold to pressure the Canadian company.

The North Africa Journal's WhatsApp Group
.
Shield and Alert Sahel

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This