The West Sahel region is facing severe famine. An estimated 15 million people already do not have enough to eat; The consequences of malnutrition are particularly fatal for affected children. Many countries in the region, including the landlocked country of Burkina Faso, have already appealed for national and international solidarity.

The main factors responsible for the humanitarian catastrophe are drought, the associated repeated crop failures and rising grain prices. Burkina Faso is also confronted with massive refugee flows from Mali and is currently supporting a total of 21,653 refugees. These are Tuaregs who fled Mali due to political and military hardship and are being accommodated in camps in the provinces of Soum and Oudalan in the north of Burkina Faso.

Taking the urgency into account, the foundation and its project partner HOPE’87 have been preparing the first humanitarian intervention in Djibo, in the north of Burkina Faso, since mid-January 2012. This emergency measure supported both the local population and the refugees from Mali living in the Djibo/Mentao and Djibo/Damba camps.

With the targeted distribution of food and hygiene products (“hygiene kits”) to those in need, with a special focus on women, families with children and people with special needs, 2,400 people can be cared for for a month.

UNESCO special ambassador Dr. Ohoven traveled to the refugee camps in March 2012 to help distribute food. Hygiene and sanitation measures are being planned. In a later phase, activities in the area of “Education in Emergencies” will be used to look after school-age children in particular, as a particularly vulnerable target group.