Background

The Savannah region bordering Burkina Faso has been experiencing incursions from non-state armed groups on the Burkinabe side of the border since 2021. These attacks have multiplied since February, leading the Government on 17 February 2023 to request support from the CRT and its other partners for assistance to displaced populations.

Current Situation

As of the time of writing, the death toll from the crisis was 102 dead and 15 injured. There are 2,037 displaced households, approximately 12,222 people including IDPs and Burkinabe populations. 1403 Burkinabe households are in refuge in Togo, while 634 internally displaced households have been recorded. New attacks continue to be recorded according to reports from branches on the ground. However, access to information and data sharing remains an important challenge to define actions in real-time. In addition, a certain degree of discretion at the local level did not facilitate the clear identification of the number of displaced persons by the NS.

The CRT conducted a situation update mission, reporting 22,000 people affected by the crisis, including 8,857 IDPs including refugees and 13,861 host populations. The villages attacked are mainly in the North East of the Savannah region and on the Burkinabe border, while the populations have found refuge in the more secure villages in the South of the Savannah region.

The main places of refuge include the Prefecture of Kpendjal in majority (Kpenjal-West in majority), the Prefecture of Tône, the Prefecture of Manjouaré (in the town of Majouaré), the Prefecture of Oti (mainly in Oti-Sud), and Cinkassé in the Savannes region. The displaced are received daily by tens to hundreds in the above-mentioned localities. The current number of displaced persons is said to exceed the above figures by tens of thousands.

The displaced persons are fleeing from the attacks, but they are also fleeing following warnings within the communities of possible attacks, whether or not they are actually planned. The populations found refuge in host families in villages located more than 20 km from their original residences. Most of the population moved on foot or on carts with their few pieces of luggage, leaving behind their granaries, poultry, and small ruminants.

Challenges

It should be noted that the majority of these displaced persons arrived in host families without the minimum of facilities for their integration. This forced the host families to share their food reserves with their guests. Today, it is difficult to eat three daily meals. The consumption of pets has started to increase. Among the displaced, there is a high percentage of children under 11 years old (about 30%) who are psychologically affected by the atrocities and the change of life.

Access to the villages of origin to consider a return is no longer possible or at least remains a challenge as the security situation remains volatile with explosive devices buried on the roads. This is the case where, on 2 February, 10 people on board a tricycle fell victim to an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at a place called Inamoufali. No survivors were noted as the convoy headed to the cemeteries to bury the four peasants murdered the day before. In addition, there were reports of infiltration into the existing groups of people in the host villages.

Conclusion

The situation in the Savannah region crisis in Togo is dire, with a significant number of displaced persons and casualties. The displaced persons are mainly being hosted by local families who are already struggling with limited resources. The security situation remains volatile, and access to affected villages is a challenge, hindering relief efforts.