The United States announced yesterday, Thursday, its intention to provide about $55 million in aid to Burkina Faso to address a severe humanitarian crisis, according to Reuters.
Samantha Power, the Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), stated that the aid would meet urgent needs for nutrition and food, in addition to other forms of support.
With this amount, the total emergency aid provided by the agency to Burkina Faso reaches about $158 million since the beginning of the fiscal year 2023.
Power stated in a press release that the effects of the escalating conflict and severe humanitarian crisis in Burkina Faso are evident in communities isolated from the world.
She added that widespread violence, attacks on civilians, and vital infrastructure have led to mass displacement and disrupted essential services, leaving nearly 6.3 million people in Burkina Faso, about a third of the country's population, in need of urgent assistance this year.
Power urged donor parties to increase their support for providing humanitarian aid, which she said has been neglected and underfunded, but she warned that even with increased support, reaching the most vulnerable civilians remains a challenge.
She emphasized that at least one million people can only be reached by helicopters carrying humanitarian aid or military convoys.
She warned that about 3 million people are expected to experience levels of food insecurity, requiring immediate humanitarian assistance in the coming months.
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