Nairobi, June 17, (dpa/GNA) – One of the world’s fastest-growing migrant crises is taking place in Burkina Faso, as the country suffers a major escalation in armed violence, according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR.
The West African country of 21 million residents, had 1.9 million people internally displaced at the end of April, a UNHCR spokesperson said on Friday, citing government figures.
Last Sunday, at least 79 people were killed in an attack on the town of Seytenga. Some 16,000 people had to flee to the nearest town, most of them women and children, the spokesperson said.
Witnesses reported that the attackers went to their houses to shoot the men of the families.
According to UNHCR, hundreds of internally displaced still have to sleep on the streets because the accommodation facilities are overburdened. The government announced plans to provide more emergency aid, but only 20% of the existing aid budget of €105 million ($110.3 million) has been covered.
Armed groups, including some who have sworn allegiance to Islamic State or al-Qaeda, are active in Burkina Faso and in the neighbouring countries of Mali and Niger.
Protracted droughts and famines also plague the country, which is impoverished despite rich gold deposits. The military has been in power since a coup in January.
GNA