Burkina Faso: HOPE for the People affected by the Sahel Crises

Since 2012, HOPE’87 had conducted several humanitarian aid actions, operating in the province of Soum in the Sahel region, to improve the humanitarian situation of the people affected by the food and refugee crisis in Burkina Faso. The “Tuareg rebellion”, starting in January 2012, brought masses of Malian refugees across the northern borders of neighbouring Burkina Faso. Most of these refugees have ever since been staying in refugee camps in the north of Burkina Faso. The main objective of the conducted projects was to sustain and safeguarde the life and health of the beneficaries, alleviating their suffering and preserving their human dignity.

The first two projects of “HOPE for the People Affected by the Sahel Crisis” – Emergency relief for Malian Refugees and livelihood support for local pastoralists in Burkina Faso“, financially supported by the Austrian Development Ageny (ADA), Foundation UNESCO and HOPE’87, adressed Malian refugees staying in Camp Damba, as well as the local population of 10 villages of the rural community of Nassoumbou. The implementation of these projects offered more secure and better living conditions for the refugees in Camp Damba, who will be protected against any weather and climate related hazards. Furthermore, the survival and digniity of the refugees is guaranteed  by humanitarian food assistance in the camp. Another emphasis had been given to the protection of livestock of the Tuareg refugees as well as of the local pastoralists and agro-pastoralists. The achievement of the above mentioned results allowed the affected refugee population to access food and non-food articles in order to sustain and safeguard their lives, health and livelihood. Moreover, the resilience strategies of the local pastoralists and agro-pastoralists have been strengthened in order to enhance their capacity to cope with the current climate change based crisis.

With financial support from the Austraian Developemtn Agency (ADA), Foundation UNESCO and LandsAid e.V. another HOPE’87 project had been launched in January this year, as a continuation of previous humanitarian aid actions in the Sahel region of Burkina Faso in support of the Malian refugees and their host societies. This current project "Humanitarian Relief for Malian Refugees and Livelihood Support for local Agro-pastoralists in Burkina Faso"focuses mainly on the provision of food and non-food items for newly arrived refugees in Camp Mentao, the biggest camp among the others also located in the province of Soum,  as well as livelihood support of the subsistence farmers in the neighbouring villages of Camp Mentao. This double track strategy aims at preventing social tensions and clashes between the refugees and the host societies as the massive influx of refugees in Camp Mentao leads to an expanded camp area and some of the space used had been already used as fields and pasture land by the local agro-pastoralists.   

Following the LRRD-Approach (Linking Relief, Rehabilitation and Development) this project aims to ultimately enhance the resilience of the beneficiaries to the adverse impacts of climate change.