Over 17 500 people have fled their homes in jihadist-hit Burkina Faso in the last 10 days after attacks that claimed at least 45 lives, the United Nations said Friday.
More than 1 300 people have been killed and one million have fled violence since 2015, when jihadists emerged in the formerly tranquil West African nation.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees expressed “serious concern over the humanitarian consequences after recent violence in Burkina Faso that killed 45 people and drove more than 17 500 out of their homes,” spokesman Boris Cheshirkov, said.
He said over 4 400 people had fled to the eastern towns of Foutouri and Tankoualou after an attack on Monday on a village named Kodyel in which 25 people died.
In the north, some 10 200 people fled to Ouahigouya after attacks while in the Sahel region “over 3 200 people were recently displaced,” he said.
These people “urgently need food, shelter, drinking water and medical care,” UNHCR said.
Burkina Faso also hosts 20 000 refugees and asylum seekers from neighbouring Mali, which has been devastated by jihadist and rebel violence.
