Months of tension and protests in Burkina Faso culminated in a military takeover on Monday, January 24. The political crisis adds to an already fragile context characterized by an ongoing conflict. For more than a decade, the central Sahel region—principally Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso—has seen conflict between armed groups, government, and international forces. The fighting has created a serious humanitarian crisis with large-scale displacement and many people struggle to find food, water, shelter, and medical care.
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams are providing food, clean water, maternity and child care, and malaria treatment but more help is needed. “People are living in very precarious situations,” said MSF coordinator Youssouf Dembélé. “[People are] often in camps exposed to bad weather, which increases waterborne diseases like malaria, diarrhea, and respiratory infections.”
