Growing numbers of children in Burkina Faso are facing warinduced trauma

In northern Burkina Faso, the harrowing impact of conflict on children like Safi is tragically evident. When armed assailants descended upon her village, Safi found herself thrust into a nightmare scenario. Huddled with her four children, they endured the terror of witnessing loved ones being ruthlessly slain, leaving them to grapple with the burden of survivor’s guilt.

Safi’s ordeal is not isolated; it reflects the plight of millions displaced by escalating violence between Islamic extremists and security forces across Burkina Faso. Shockingly, approximately 60% of those displaced are children, bearing the brunt of trauma inflicted by conflict. However, amid the turmoil, access to mental health services remains limited, leaving many children to navigate their anguish without adequate support.

Rudy Lukamba, the health coordinator for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Burkina Faso, emphasizes the critical need to identify and address trauma in affected children. Often, mothers play a pivotal role in recognizing signs of distress in children as young as three or four years old. Lukamba underscores the importance of a supportive parental figure in facilitating successful outcomes post-treatment.

In northern Burkina Faso, relentless attacks by militants affiliated with groups like the Islamic State and al-Qaida have become distressingly commonplace. Villages deemed to have collaborated with the enemy often bear the brunt of reprisal, resulting in mass casualties and profound community trauma. Over the past decade, the toll of violence has been staggering, with more than 20,000 lives lost, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED).