Record Number of People Fleeing Armed Attacks in Burkina Faso

GENEVA - The U.N. refugee agency on Friday called for concerted action to help record-breaking numbers of people forced to flee increasingly violent armed attacks in Burkina Faso.

The attacks on civilians and security forces by jihadist groups are increasing in frequency and in the level of violence.  Over the past two years, more than 1.3 million people, or 6 percent of the population, have become displaced inside the country. UNHCR spokesman Babar Baloch said the speed of internal displacement was showing no sign of slowing as armed attacks continue unabated. "In the first half of this year," Baloch said, "some 240,000 people fled their homes to other parts of Burkina Faso, a sharp increase compared to nearly 100,000 registered during the last six months of the year 2020.”