Burkina Faso
In a country affected by a widespread humanitarian crisis, HI is responding to the urgent needs of individuals affected by violence, particularly internally displaced people.
Kotime lost the use of her legs when she was 9 years old. To help her regain mobility, HI has provided her with a wheelchair and rehabilitation. | © Olivier Czar Katona / HI
Our actions
Against a backdrop of widespread crisis and mass population displacement, HI addresses the urgent humanitarian needs of people affected by violence and crises. The organization provides mental health counseling and psychosocial support sessions for internally displaced people and host communities. It also carries out wider awareness activities on psychological first aid within communities and for healthcare workers. HI also provides protection services for children and survivors of gender-based and sexual violence. Furthermore, HI helps improve the living conditions of people in precarious situations by facilitating their access to safe and suitable shelter.
Furthermore, HI supports households facing insecurity in the border regions between Burkina Faso and Niger by strengthening the resilience and social cohesion of communities. To this end, HI restores and strengthens the sustainability of families’ livelihoods, notably by providing assistance to cover their basic needs. To prevent accidents, our teams also organize awareness campaigns on the risks associated with munitions and explosive devices, the presence of which is increasing due to clashes with armed groups.
Furthermore, HI is developing logistical expertise in Burkina Faso with the aim of facilitating humanitarian access to the country’s most remote or isolated regions and training local stakeholders in logistics, thereby increasing the number of people who can benefit from aid.
Finally, HI is helping to establish a regional functional rehabilitation network and integrate it into the national health system. As part of this, HI trains healthcare professionals, particularly specialists in functional rehabilitation, and provides care for certain patients, notably very young children at risk of developing disabilities. The organization also works with health centers and organizations for people with disabilities to enable thousands of users to benefit from specialist care.
- Number of HI staff: 103 people
- Number of people directly supported by HI in 2025: 91,954 people
- Number of people indirectly supported by HI in 2025: 452,128 people
- Program launch date: 1991
Areas of intervention
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Background
Burkina Faso, a Sahelian country with a population of over 23 million, has been experiencing a major humanitarian crisis for several years, marked by a continuous deterioration in security, climate shocks, and persistent socio-economic challenges. In 2026, nearly 4.5 million people in the country are in need of humanitarian aid. This marks a slight improvement compared to 2025; however, the situation remains critical for millions of Burkinabés, particularly internally displaced persons and host communities.
Despite sustained economic growth, the country continues to face major structural challenges. As a result, extreme poverty still affects nearly a quarter of the population, with significant disparities between rural and urban areas.
Persistent insecurity, inter-communal violence, and attacks by non-state armed groups continue to destabilize the country. Despite the efforts of the authorities and the international community, the security situation remains volatile, with increased risks for civilians. This insecurity particularly affects communities in the north and east of the country, leading to massive population displacements. Consequently, more than 2 million people have been forced to leave their homes, making Burkina Faso the country most affected by internal displacement in the Sahel.
Furthermore, more than 2.2 million people are food insecure in Burkina Faso and nearly 1.9 million children are deprived of education due to insecurity and forced displacement. People with disabilities, meanwhile, remain often marginalized and face increased difficulties in accessing basic services and protection, in a context where infrastructure and resources are already under strain.
Humanitarian needs are immense: protection of civilians, access to safe drinking water, healthcare, education, psychosocial support, etc. The resilience of communities and the solidarity of local actors are being severely tested against a backdrop of declining international aid funding.
- Population: 23.5 million
- HDI: 0.459 (2023)
- GDP: USD 23.12 billion (2024)
- GDP per capita: ~USD 1,005 (2024)
