Burkina Faso, 10 October, 2023 – Over 100 tons of food, including rice, sorghum, and cowpea, along with 6,700 liters of cooking oil, were distributed to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and their hosts in the Center-North region of the country, under the chairmanship of the Minister of Environment, Water, and Sanitation, Mr. Roger Baro at the Kaya Governorate. The project “Strengthening Resilience on the Kaya-Dori Axis,” is implemented by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) in collaboration with national partners such as Actions for the Promotion of Local Initiatives (APIL) and the Technical Development Assistance Alliance (ATAD), with support from government technical services. Five villages in the Center-North region are benefiting from the project’s current phase. The project is funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
According to the National Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation Council (CONASUR), the most urgent need for internally displaced individuals is the satisfaction of their basic immediate needs, particularly food needs, which are heightened during the lean season. Those involved in the project, whose approach is based on the Quadruple Nexus: Humanitarian – Development – Peacebuilding and Green Growth, have joined hands by offering food assistance to Internally Displaced Persons, vulnerable populations, and host communities. For this first phase, a total of 101 tons of food items, including Rice: 58.5 tons / Cowpeas: 25.5 tons / Sorghum: 18 tons / Vegetable oil: 6,750 liters / Salt: 1,125 kg are distributed.
Some beneficiaries receiving their living kit and showing their joy.
Furthermore, this project’s scope extends beyond immediate food needs as it also invests in agro-silvopastoral sectors, fisheries, promising trades, clean cooking solutions, effective environmental reforestation techniques tailored to the realities of IDPs and their hosts. The goal is to facilitate the acquisition of the necessary knowledge so when return to their original villages are safely possible, they are equipped with the appropriate technological and material packages to ensure sustainable growth and prosperity for the populations.
The Minister of Environment, present at the ceremony, commended the initiative of the “Strengthening Resilience on the Kaya-Dori Axis” project, whose approach will provide valuable data for scaling up the strategy for the voluntary return of IDPs to their villages after the security crisis ends.
People benefiting from the project also expressed their gratitude for the food assistance. According to them, this project goes beyond food support by showing them the path to a better future through the technical, technological, and environmental support for sustainable green growth.
About KOICA
The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) was established in 1991 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea as a government organization for official development assistance (ODA). Its mission is to enhance the effectiveness of South Korea’s aid programs to developing countries by implementing aid and technical cooperation programs of the government.