NEARLY 64,000 people fleeing violence in northern Nigeria since the beginning of the year arrived in Niger Republic, only to be confronted with deepening humanitarian cris there.
The United Nations (UN) refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Tuesday, November 10, that violence in northern Nigeria is fueling a growing humanitarian crisis across the whole region, with about 64,000 fleeing to the neighbouring country and several hundred leaving for Benin Republic since this year, even as the host countries struggle to cope.
The northern part of Nigeria has been experiencing multiple, overlapping security crises involving jihadist insurgencies, armed banditry, and farmer-herder conflicts, forcing millions from their homes over the past 25 years.
Most this year have fled to Niger Republic, which is already struggling with insecurity, climate shocks and overstretched services.
Before the beginning of the year, the landlocked West African country was already hosting over half a million refugees and asylum-seekers, including some 327,500 from Nigeria, alongside large numbers of internally displaced persons (IDPs).
In October alone, around 1,200 people crossed into Diffa, in south-eastern Niger Republic, and another 3,400 into Tahoua, in the west, both bordering Nigeria.
Conditions are particularly dire in Diffa, which has accounted for over 70 per cent of Niger Republic’s reported security incidents this year, including armed attacks and violence against civilians.
Drought and irregular rainfall have also devastated agriculture and pastureland. Grain production is expected to be insufficient in around 700 of the region’s 1,000 villages, while an estimated 70 per cent of pastureland has been lost.
The UNHCR warned that newly-arrived refugees, many of them children, face very difficult living conditions.
Malnutrition levels are high, as access to food and clean water is limited, with refugee women describing having to walk several kilometres to collect water for their families.
Many are also living in makeshift shelters that offer little protection from the elements, and humanitarian partners are reporting poor hygiene and widespread respiratory infections.
Only around five per cent of Nigerian refugees who arrived this year have been registered, with lack of funds hampering the effort.
Without documentation, refugees face additional barriers to accessing assistance and essential services, leaving them exposed to heightened protection risks.
Education is another major concern, particularly for children arriving from Nigeria’s English-language-based education system, with no schools or transitional classes at some locations.
Hausa is the sole official language of Niger.
Despite being dealt a difficult hand, Niger Republic’s authorities and host communities are demonstrating “remarkable solidarity” with Nigeria’s refugees, including by making land available for temporary shelter, said UNHCR’s Dominique Hyde.
However, their capacity to support growing numbers of refugees is increasingly stretched, and UNHCR is calling on the international community to urgently scale up their assistance.
The UN agency is seeking $11.4million to scale up the emergency and solutions response in Niger Republic, Nigeria and Benin Republic, including a $2million appeal for immediate critical needs to support water, food, shelter, health care, registration and protection.
“Without additional resources, thousands of vulnerable families risk being left without essential assistance and protection as displacement continues,” Hyde added.
The agency earlier reported that new Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria drove over 7,000 into Chad.
It urged halt in Nigerian refugee repatriation amid mounting violence in the country.
