Burkina Faso, among the forgotten crises: the African country is at the top of the list for the first time due to the worsening living conditions of the displaced

ROME – For the first time, Burkina Faso tops the list of the world’s most overlooked displacement crises, according to a new report from the Norwegian Refugee Council. The shift of aid and attention to Ukraine has made the living conditions of many people living in the most vulnerable places in the world even more desperate. With a total number of 1.76 million internally displaced persons registered to date, Burkina Faso is therefore experiencing one of the most serious and rapidly developing humanitarian crises in the world, amidst violence, widespread poverty, food shortages and the increasingly tough on the climate crisis.

The displaced emergency. The annual list of the most neglected crises affecting displaced people is based on three criteria: lack of humanitarian funding, lack of attention from the media and lack of international political and diplomatic initiatives. Burkina Faso for the first time occupies the first position in the dossier of Norwegian Council for Refugeesthe Democratic Republic of Congo is in second place, consolidating the sad record that has always seen it in pole position for seven years now, followed by Colombia, Sudan and Venezuela.

The Ukrainian example. For the organization, the powerful response to war-inflicted suffering in Ukraine has demonstrated that the world can help those in need, when it wants. Political action for Ukrainians has been swift and impactful, borders have been opened, refugees have been welcomed, funding has poured in, and media coverage has been extensive. But those in power do not show the same empathy for those affected by equally serious crises in places like Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Talking about crises. Last year the number of articles devoted to the war in Ukraine more than five times exceeded the number of articles on all the ten most neglected crises in the world. Furthermore, for every dollar raised for every person in need in Ukraine in 2022, only 25 cents were raised per person in need during the world’s ten most neglected crises.

The economic data. The redirection of large amounts of money into aid for Ukraine and for hosting refugees has resulted in a decline in assistance for many other crises, despite growing needs. Total aid to Africa, where seven of the ten most overlooked emergencies are experiencing, was $34 billion in 2022, down 7.4 percent from 2021. food insecurity and the increase in the prices of basic products, exacerbating already terrible crises and multiplying the number of people in need of aid.

Rebalance aid. The world has failed to support the most vulnerable – denounces the Norwegian Council for Refugees – but this is a trend that can be reversed. The lives of millions of people who suffer in silence could be improved if funding and resources were allocated based on need and not geopolitical interests or media headlines. Last year, the gap between what was needed and what was actually delivered in humanitarian assistance was $22 billion – a huge sum, but roughly equal to what Europeans spend on ice cream every year.

Burkina Faso. The country’s decline since the crisis erupted five years ago has been rapid and devastating. More than 2 million people have been forced to flee their homes and almost a quarter of the population now lives on humanitarian aid. Throughout the country, 800,000 people live in areas under the control of armed groups, where they do not even have access to basic services. The situation is so bad that some people are forced to eat leaves to survive.

The stages of the political crisis. On 30 September 2022, Burkina Faso’s military leader, President Paul-Henri Damiba, was deposed in the country’s second coup in a year. Army Captain Ibrahim Traore took the lead by dissolving the transitional government and suspending the constitution. Earlier, on January 24, 2022, Burkina Faso’s army, led by Damiba, also deposed President Roch Kabore after more than six years in power. Damiba viewed the Kabore administration as incapable of uniting the country and curbing the deterioration of security. Since 2015, Burkina Faso has been embroiled in an escalation of violence attributed to rebel fighters allied with both al-Qaeda and the ISIL group, which have killed thousands of people and displaced more than two million. For analysts Ouagadougou is the new epicenter of the conflict in the Sahel.

The violence. Despite Damiba’s promises to improve the security situation in the country, the crisis has worsened under his rule. According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, attacks by armed groups have increased by 23 percent in the five months since former leader Damiba took power. In June, Mahamadou Issoufou, former president of Niger, said Ouagadougou controlled only 60 percent of the country and the remaining territory was outside state control, reports Al Jazeera.