In Burkina Faso, a growing number of children are traumatized by war

When armed men entered Safi’s village in northern Burkina Faso and began firing, she hid in her home with her four children. The gunmen found them and let them live  to suffer the guilt of survival after killing her husband and other relatives.

Safi, is among 2 million people displaced in the West African country by growing violence between Islamic extremists and security forces.

About 60% of the displaced are children. Many are traumatized, but mental health services are limited and children are often overlooked for treatment.

“People often think that the children…