Projects

Short Description:

Overall goal

This project contributes to improved access to water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH), protection and education (formal and non-formal) services for conflict-affected children, adolescents and their families including IDP and those from host communities.

Expected results

IDP and population in host communities including children and adolescent girls and boys have improved access to multi-sectoral emergency responses in protection, WASH, education and communication.

Target group / Beneficiaries

Of the total population in need of 1.47 million (OCHA, HNO Burkina Faso 2019), in line with the 2019 Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) for Burkina Faso, UNICEF plans to reach 977,900 emergency-affected population including 510,440 children (boys and girls) aged between 0-18 years.

In line with UNICEF's Humanitarian Action for Children 2019, Austria's contribution to UNICEF-Burkina Faso will directly benefit up to 44,500 IDP and population in host communities, including children and adolescent girls and boys with life-saving support in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), protection and education.

Interventions will also indirectly benefit 80,000 population including children and adolescents (at least 57% are 0-18 years old).

Activities

Activities may include:

1. Provision of emergency kits and cash transfer to the most vulnerable families (IDP) to enhance their protection.

2. Capacity development of community actors on child protection, gender-based parenting and prevention of family separation and violence against children.

3. Psycho-social services and psychological first aid to children affected by emergency through child-friendly centers

4. Identification and reunification of separated or unaccompanied children including an alternative care; and identification and referral of children affected by VAC

5. Communication interventions in communities to promote citizenship, peaceful co-existence and child protection, and peace building education to children.

6. Vocational training and literacy training with adolescents

7. Provision of water services through construction or rehabilitation of water points, water trucking and chlorination of water points/distribution of aqua tabs, and construction of emergency family or communal latrines, and hygiene promotion including provision of soap and menstrual hygiene kits.

Context

Since 2017, Burkina Faso, a landlocked country of West Africa, has been facing vulnerabilities including chronic food and nutrition insecurity, repeated or irregular floods and droughts, as well as deteriorating insecurity linked to violent extremist groups.

In 2018, the humanitarian situation in Burkina Faso has worsened due to repeated attacks by armed groups mainly in six regions and inter-communal conflicts starting early 2019. Between 2017 and 2018, the number of security incidents has almost doubled, increasing from 65 to 124 incidents. These attacks targeted security and defense forces and schools, killing 208 people in 2018 (OCHA, January 2019). Due to persisting insecurity, the number of schools closed has rapidly increased; as of 25 January, 952 primary and secondary schools were closed in five regions (East, Sahel, Centre-North, Boucle de Mouhoun and North), affecting, the right to education among 135,126 school children (63,227 girls). As of December 20, 47,029 IDPs and 23,928 refugees had been registered in the regions bordering Mali and Niger, of which 51% were women (OCHA, December 2018) and 57% were girls and boys between 0-18 years old.

The Government declared the Emergency status in 6 regions (Sahel, North, Centre-North, Hauts-Bassins, Boucle du Mouhoun and East regions) of the country at the end of December 2018 (extended until June 2019). Early January, an attack by armed groups on Yirgou village in Barsalogho municipality in the Centre-North region turned into intercommunal conflicts between Mossi and Fula communities. This new crisis has led to 15,000 new IDP in Sahel and Centre-Nord regions, in addition to 60,000 people internally displaced because of the insecurity crisis. A total of 75,000 IDP would need immediate humanitarian assistance, and the number continues to grow every week.