Burkina Faso’s ruling military government led by Capt. Ibrahim Traoré pledged to tackle terrorism when it seized power in September 2022 but terrorists in many rural towns and villages have imposed blockades that make it difficult for humanitarian organizations to deliver aid.
According to the Norwegian Refugee Council, about half a million people are under blockade in Burkina Faso. They are cut out of humanitarian response due to a lack of funding and severe operational challenges.
Only 1 percent of civilians in half of the towns under blockade have received Aid from international non-governmental organizations. This challenge is made worse by the restrictions on movement imposed by the government and terrorists alike.
Soldiers take notes on a car that was burnt out outside the Splendid Hotel in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016. The overnight seizure of a luxury hotel in Burkina Faso’s capital by al-Qaida-linked extremists ended Saturday when Burkina Faso and French security forces killed four jihadist attackers and freed more than 126 people, the West African nation’s president said. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)
This reality is different from the narrative pushed by junta loyalists who say the country’s security situation is better off under military rule and that its forces have not yielded to terrorists.
Groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group impose blockades in areas where they believe residents are loyal to government forces, including civilians who have joined the junta’s Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP) militia.
Traoré uses the VDP to bolster the Burkinabe military, which has fought extremists for more than seven years. According to the United Nations, terrorists there have killed thousands and forced more than 2 million to flee their homes.
Although government officials have said 50,000 people have volunteered to join the VDP, insurgents hold as much as half of the nation’s territory, mostly in the north. This has resulted in destroyed communities and rampant hunger.
Residents of blockaded places told The New Humanitarian that their health services are collapsing, infrastructure is being attacked, and food is scarce because terrorists prevent them from accessing farms and pastures. Aid workers said they can access blockaded areas only with high-cost U.N. helicopters. They said distributions are infrequent and terrorists threaten to punish communities for accepting relief.
Rachel Mikanagu, director of the Forum of International Humanitarian Non-Governmental Organizations, said only about one-third of the money required to address the most critical humanitarian needs in Burkina Faso “was effectively allocated” in 2023.
Internally displaced people wait for aid in Djibo, Burkina Faso, Thursday May 26, 2022. African leaders have gathered for a summit in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, to address growing humanitarian needs on the continent, which is also facing increased violent extremism, climate change challenges and a run of military coups. Leaders on Friday called for increased mobilization to resolve a humanitarian crisis that has left millions displaced and more than 280 million suffering from malnourishment. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick)
As The New Humanitarian reported, military convoys periodically force their way through blockades to deliver supplies and humanitarian aid and to help people escape their towns. But these operations are few and far between and are also regularly attacked by terrorists.
Terrorists attacked a World Food Program (WFP) helicopter as it tried to deliver food to civilians in the town of Djibo. This happened in August 2023.
