In Burkina Faso, malnutrition and food insecurity remain major challenges, exacerbated by more than ten years of crisis and insecurity. In the commune of Gayéri, located in the eastern region of Burkina Faso, access to sufficient, balanced food is a daily struggle for many internally displaced and host family households.

In response to this reality, Première Urgence Internationale distributes food and enriched flour to the most vulnerable populations.

Forced displacement and precariousness

 Yenipouni and Raïssa were forced to flee their village because of the violence raging in the region. Yenipouni, originally from Gnapaga, moved to Gayéri with her family before losing her husband in an attack, leaving her alone with seven children. As for Raïssa, she had to flee Malidianga just as she was about to give birth. On the way, her husband and two sons were killed in an attack. On her arrival in Gayéri, she gave birth to her fourth child, having to support her household alone.

With no food and no income, the two women lived a very precarious existence. Yenipouni washed clothes, sold firewood and sometimes even begged to feed her children. Raissa, on the other hand, depended on the generosity of others, making do with monotonous meals, often without oil or variety. “I had insomnia, I asked myself a thousand questions about our survival,” confides Yenipouni, while Raïssa recounts: ”We had nothing, but a kind-hearted person helped us with three tins of millet and a few beans.”