Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal announced on Wednesday that India has sent a consignment of 1,000 metric tonnes of rice to Burkina Faso as humanitarian aid.
Jaiswal announced in a post on X, writing, “India has sent a shipment of 1,000 metric tons of rice to Burkina Faso as a humanitarian aid. This is aimed at supporting food security for vulnerable communities and internally displaced persons. This gesture reflects India’s continued commitment as a reliable development and HADR partner to countries in the Global South.”
The development comes as Burkina Faso, a landlocked country in West Africa, faces one of the world’s most neglected humanitarian crises, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA). The crisis is said to be caused by uncertainty in adverse climatic conditions. UN OCHA added that these challenges are pushing many people in the country, who are already living with limited resources, to the brink of survival.
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According to UN OCHA data, at least 4.5 million people need humanitarian assistance in Burkina Faso in 2026.
Humanitarian access in Burkina Faso is difficult
According to reports, humanitarian access in the country remains difficult, severely limiting humanitarian operations. Few routes into the affected areas are dangerous, forcing communities to rely on expensive airlifts or accompanying supply convoys.
Over two million displaced amid crisis
Years of insecurity have driven more than two million people from their homes. However, as of October 31, 2025, more than 1.1 million internally displaced persons have been able to return to their communities of origin, according to the National Council for Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation, largely thanks to the coordinated efforts of the Government of Burkina Faso and its partners.
Read also | Burkina Faso’s government says at least 100 civilians have been killed in the deadliest attack in years
Burkina Faso marked by political instability
The humanitarian aid from India, which presents itself as the voice of the global South, comes at a time when the country is marked by political instability. According to a BBC report, Burkina Faso’s junta announced in early January a ban on all political parties that have been suspended since the military took power in 2022.
Burkina Faso’s Interior Minister Emile Zerbo said the ban on political parties is part of a plan to “restore the state” after what he said were “numerous abuses” in the country’s multi-party system. He added that the system “encouraged division among citizens and weakened the social fabric.”
Before the military took power, Burkina Faso had over 100 registered political parties, 15 of which were represented in parliament after general elections in 2020. Parties were previously banned from organizing public rallies; however, the new order completely prevents them from operating.
Jihadists kill 12 in Burkina Faso village
In addition to the humanitarian crisis and political instability, the country is also facing jihadist attacks. In March, suspected jihadists targeted a village in Burkina Faso, killing at least 12 civilians, according to AFP. This included nine members of the volunteer force, which supports the military and security forces.
The West African country, which has been ruled by a military junta since a 2022 coup, has faced deadly violence from jihadists linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State for more than a decade.
