Mrs Fatoumata DIALLO is a 38 year old mother of 7, who also lives with her 3 sisters. She says she is very happy because for over two months she had gone to bed in a dilapidated home with no shelter from poor weather conditions and with no security. Now, with decent shelter set up, she can sleep peacefully.
The UNHCR-provided shelters built by AIRD have brought an immense sense of relief for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the Goudebou camp, Burkina Faso. For those in this area struggling to rebuild a life for themselves and their families, having a decent place to call home is a critical starting point. The 9,000 capacity camp is a refuge for Malian refugees and IDPs in Burkina Faso.
In 2020, 4,749 Refugee Housing Units (RHUs) received from UNHCR were set up by AIRD for the benefit of IDPs. In addition to these much needed shelters, 1,774 Non Food Item kits were also distributed to 2,225 households comprising 14,639 individuals. These Non Food Items, which include articles such as blankets and kitchenware, help to make the housing units feel like a home.
440 additional RHU shelters were further installed for the benefit of refugees and internally displaced persons in the Sahel region, beyond the Goudebou camp.
Fatoumata says “I can fall asleep in peace because I have shelter. I am safe with the rest of my family. I am very moved because I see my children and my sisters having a roof over their heads or sleeping. It’s almost two months since I left my village, leaving my house and what little I had. She adds “I lost my husband in an attack on January 4, 2021 by individuals whose origins and motivations are unknown. This is how the next day we took some belongings to leave our village Rafnamane to go to the town of Déou, after hours of walking. Two days later we returned to the town of Dori on the night of January 7, 2021 where I could take my family to safety”.
She adds that from the moment she lost her husband, she knew that she had become both father and mother and that there were certain decisions to be made. “I cannot say what the future holds, but I feel relieved to know that somewhere men and women are fighting to give us tremendous help. This is how I want to thank the UNHCR which, through its AIRD partner, made strong efforts to give us decent shelters as well as latrines in such a short time, so that we can preserve the little dignity we have left”.
Mrs. Diallo’s shelter before (left) and after (right) shelter assistance from AIRD
With the ever-growing number of IDPs, through 2021, AIRD in Burkina Faso will continue to provide its expertise to ensure that displaced people in this area receive the support required to slowly rebuild their lives in the face of a security crisis.
