Call for Strengthening the Protection Environment for Forcibly Displaced Persons and Host Communities in Burkina Faso

Deadline: 27-Sep-2026

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is seeking qualified partners to strengthen protection, assistance, and inclusion for forcibly displaced people, stateless individuals, and host communities in Burkina Faso. The partnership will use an integrated approach covering protection, health, education, gender-based violence prevention and response, child protection, social cohesion, community engagement, and prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse. The opportunity is intended for organizations with demonstrated expertise in protection monitoring, mixed movements, community-based protection, case management, gender-based violence, social cohesion, data collection and analysis, and humanitarian project management. Applicants should also demonstrate local presence, established relationships with authorities and communities, accountability mechanisms, cost-effectiveness, resource contribution, and the ability to manage security risks in challenging environments.

About the UNHCR Partnership Opportunity

The UNHCR partnership opportunity aims to strengthen the protection and inclusion of people affected by forced displacement and statelessness in Burkina Faso. The initiative recognizes that displacement creates interconnected challenges. People may face difficulties accessing protection, healthcare, education, documentation, and other essential services, while host communities may also experience pressure on already limited resources. UNHCR therefore seeks an integrated approach that brings together protection and assistance while strengthening local systems and community capacity. Humanitarian Context in Burkina Faso Since 2015, Burkina Faso has experienced a multidimensional crisis involving insecurity, humanitarian challenges, and large-scale forced displacement.

The crisis has resulted in:

- More than two million internally displaced persons. - Continued arrivals of refugees and asylum seekers. - Significant movements of people, particularly from Mali. - Reduced access to essential services. - Increased vulnerabilities among displaced and host populations. - Additional pressure on host communities and limited resources. Education and health services have been particularly affected, creating a need for coordinated interventions that address both immediate protection concerns and access to essential services. Main Objectives of the Partnership The partnership seeks to improve protection, assistance, and inclusion through integrated interventions.

Key objectives include:

- Strengthening protection data collection. - Improving protection monitoring. - Strengthening community-based protection mechanisms. - Improving identification of people at risk. - Strengthening referral and case-management systems. - Supporting emergency responses when necessary. - Improving access to health services. - Improving access to education. - Preventing and responding to gender-based violence. - Strengthening child protection. - Promoting social cohesion and peaceful coexistence. - Preventing and responding to sexual exploitation and abuse. - Supporting evidence-based advocacy. - Building the capacity of local actors. Integrated Protection Approach Protection is at the center of the proposed intervention. The partnership will combine protection monitoring with case identification, referral, community engagement, and access to social services. This integrated model is designed to ensure that protection concerns are identified early and that people at risk can be connected with appropriate services.

Key protection activities include:

- Regular protection monitoring. - Collection and analysis of protection data. - Identification of vulnerable individuals. - Case management. - Referral to appropriate services. - Community-based protection. - Prevention and response to protection risks. - Evidence-based advocacy. Protection Monitoring and Data Collection Reliable protection information is essential for effective humanitarian decision-making. The partnership will strengthen the collection and analysis of data related to protection risks and the needs of affected populations. Improved data systems can help organizations and authorities: - Identify emerging protection risks. - Understand population movements. - Identify vulnerable groups. - Strengthen case referrals. - Support evidence-based advocacy. - Improve the targeting of assistance. - Adapt interventions to changing conditions. Organizations applying for the partnership should therefore demonstrate proven experience in data collection and analysis. Community-Based Protection Community participation is a central element of the proposed approach. Community-based protection mechanisms can help identify risks, strengthen early responses, and ensure that interventions reflect the realities of affected populations.

Partners will be expected to support

- Community engagement. - Local protection mechanisms. - Identification of protection risks. - Referral systems. - Community-level response. - Peaceful coexistence. - Local capacity building. The approach is intended to strengthen community ownership and make protection interventions more responsive and sustainable. Mixed Movements and Mobility Dynamics The partnership will operate in regions affected by complex mobility patterns.

Some areas serve simultaneously as:

- Reception zones - Transit areas - Departure areas for different categories of people on the move. This creates complex protection needs because people may have different legal statuses, vulnerabilities, and reasons for movement. Applicants should therefore have experience with mixed movements and demonstrate an understanding of how population mobility affects protection and access to services. Health and Education Support The intervention expands beyond traditional protection activities to include access to essential social services. Health

Partners will contribute to improving access to inclusive health services for a