2019
First intervention
248.500
People reached
14
Projects implemented
3.420.302€
Budget spent
Context
Burkina Faso is facing a crisis caused by widespread insecurity, resulting in displacement, human rights violations and reduced access to livelihoods and basic social services such as health care and education. Several health facilities are closed or only partially operational depriving nearly 3.6 million people of access to health care.
Burkina Faso, one of the poorest countries in the world with 7.3 million people living below the poverty line, is now experiencing a further decline in the country’s two main livelihoods: agriculture and livestock.
The figures are alarming, with more than 2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs),1.3 million people at risk of acute malnutrition and nearly 4.7 million people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
INTERSOS’ intervention
In order to address and reduce the protection risks associated with mass displacement, INTERSOS worked on capacity building of institutional actors, partners and community actors through training sessions with a special focus on the prevention of gender-based violence. Awareness sessions were conducted for host communities and IDPs to improve their understanding and knowledge of risks, preventive measures and attitudes, and to inform them of available services and how to access them. Our staff also provided case management services to survivors of GBV. We also provided legal assistance to GBV survivors and children to obtain official documentation.
In the Boucle du Mouhoun and North Regions, INTERSOS built latrines and water points in schools and child-friendly spaces. Additionally, we carried out community psychosocial support sessions within child-friendly spaces, distributed protection kits and supported access to civil status documents.
The ongoing crisis has disrupted the healthcare system and exacerbated the food crisis, resulting in high levels of malnutrition among children and pregnant and lactating women. INTERSOS supported the health centres at district level to ensure free health services for children, pregnant and lactating women. We supported community health promoters and traditional birth attendants to ensure prevention and early detection of the most common diseases (such as malaria and malnutrition), detect signs of complications and raise awareness at community level on good hygiene and nutrition practices.
