WASH Severity Classification: Burkina Faso

The document provides an overview of the water, hygiene, and sanitation (WASH) situation in Burkina Faso as of February 2022. It highlights the critical need for humanitarian aid across all regions except the Centre region, with seven regions in crisis (phase 3) and seven out of 25 provinces in a critical phase (phase 4). The crisis is primarily due to poor public health conditions, high prevalence of acute malnutrition, diarrheal diseases, and high levels of insecurity. Limited access to improved water sources and sanitation facilities are significant contributing factors. The most affected regions are those experiencing armed violence: Sahel, North, Centre-North, and East.

The document also discusses the methodology of the WASH Severity Classification (WSC), an inter-agency initiative led by the Global WASH Cluster, UNICEF, and IMPACT Initiatives. It aims to standardize the classification of WASH needs and vulnerabilities across different contexts. The findings presented are from a streamlined WSC exercise conducted in November and December 2021, which did not include a joint analysis workshop but involved data review and processing by a team of analysts with input from local WASH sector partners.

Key factors contributing to the WASH situation include worsening security conditions, economic dependence on deteriorating climatic conditions, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The document warns that the situation may deteriorate over the next six months due to potential security deterioration and poor harvest conditions.