More than 2,400 serious child rights violations were recorded in Burkina Faso between 2022 and 2024, according to a new United Nations report.
The investigation, published this week and cited by APA on Friday, reveals the alarming impact of the escalating armed conflict on children, who have become the primary victims. Covering the period from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2024, the report documents 2,483 grave violations affecting 2,255 children — some of whom endured multiple abuses.
The surge in armed attacks against civilians has led to a major humanitarian crisis. More than two million people have been displaced within the country, with children making up the majority. The UN estimates that 6.3 million people — including 3.4 million children — are now in urgent need of humanitarian aid, particularly in nutrition, health, protection, and education.
The security crisis has had a devastating impact on both the educational and healthcare systems. Virginia Gamba, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, warned: “The continued deterioration of security is severely compromising children’s access to education. More than 800,000 students have been affected by school closures.”
Most of the recorded violations are attributed to armed groups. Killings and maimings top the list, followed by abductions and the forced recruitment of children. The report notes that 1,386 children — including some as young as eight months — were either killed or mutilated, often due to explosive devices.
Additionally, 592 children, most of them girls, were abducted, and 257 — mainly boys — were recruited or used by armed groups. Humanitarian access remains extremely limited in several regions, including the Centre-North, the Sahel, and the Boucle du Mouhoun.