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⏤ Crisis analysis
Understanding the crisis
in Burkina Faso
Origins, current situation and prospects of a multidimensional catastrophe.
"For the average Burkinabe, it's the market where prices have doubled. The school is closed. The son is forcibly recruited. It's an entire society waiting for solidarity that is slow in coming."
186th
out of 193 — HDI (UNDP)
4.5 M
people in need (OCHA 2026)
1.3M
internally displaced persons
43.2%
below the poverty line
#1
country most affected (GTI 2025)
33%
needs funded in 2025

● The origins of a disaster foretold

Burkina Faso did not descend into crisis overnight. The roots of the collapse lie in decades of structural, political, and security weaknesses that neither state institutions nor the international community were able to address in a timely manner.

More than 43.2% of the population lives below the poverty line . The UNDP ranks Burkina Faso 186th out of 193 countries in its Human Development Index. The security crisis became openly apparent in January 2016 with the attack on the Splendide Hotel in Ouagadougou.

"The loss of trust between the military hierarchy, the defense forces, and the political class has further fragmented the state's security apparatus. This has led to two coups d'état in nine months."

● A country under the control of an authoritarian regime

Terrorism — 1st in the world.

According to the GTI 2025 , Burkina Faso is ranked 1st in the world with a score of 8.58/10 . Attacks have become more deadly: 1,532 deaths , with an average of 14 victims per incident .

On April 1, 2025, Captain Ibrahim Traoré proclaimed the Popular Progressive Revolution . The transition was postponed until 2029. In January 2026, all political parties were dissolved. The Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) was abolished. The dismantling of Burkina Faso's democratic system was complete.

4.5M
People need help (2026)
58.5%
Displaced people include children.
29/45
Provinces under siege.
"For the average Burkinabe, it's the market where prices have doubled. The school has been closed for months. The son has been forcibly recruited. The neighboring village was attacked in the night."

● Perspectives: between worst-case scenarios and glimmers of hope

The Sahel will account for more than 50% of terrorism-related deaths worldwide in 2024. Four years of military intervention have demonstrated the futility of a purely security-based approach. The use of Russian private military companies is fueling the cycle of violence.

"All analyses converge: no lasting solution to the crisis is possible without genuine national reconciliation, without the inclusion of all political and social forces, and without a return to the rule of law."

It is precisely this expectation that Burkina Solidaire intends to respond to: breaking the media and political silence, challenging multilateral institutions, and putting pressure on international decision-makers.

It is precisely this expectation that Burkina Solidaire intends to meet.
Main sources
Global Terrorism Index 2025 & 2026 — Institute for Economics and Peace
2026 World Human Rights Report — Human Rights Watch
Humanitarian Response Plan 2026 — OCHA
International Crisis Group
UNDP / UNDP — Human Development Index