The UN and humanitarian partners mobilize to respond to the worsening humanitarian situation in Niger

Hama Sorka, a 75-year-old fisherman from Saguia, Niamey, Niger, looks at the site where his house stood before being washed away by the floods that ravaged his neighbourhood in October 2020. 

Hama, who lost almost everything in the floods, was able to find refuge with his family in the camp for internally displaced persons in Gamou, Niamey. Like the 7,000 camp residents, Hama and his family received multisectoral assistance, including shelter, emergency education, health care, water, sanitation, and hygiene services from various humanitarian organizations. 

However, basic need services in the camp are on the rise because of the continuous flooding in the area. Tents are in poor condition and at risk of being destroyed by the strong winds and heavy rainfall. Women and children are the most vulnerable and need protection services.  

Hama, who has worked hard all his life, has bravely managed to get back gradually in the saddle. “To help my family, I sell basic products like soap or mosquito repellent to the residents of the camp,” he said. 

But like the 7,000 residents of the camp, Hama’s family must be relocated again because the camp was only meant to be a transit site. “We urge the Government and its partners to speed up the relocation process to a new site,” said Hama. Government officials have confirmed the start of the transfer of some 12,000 people from Gamou camp and Hippodrome camp to the newly established Cité des Enseignants Chercheurs camp in Niamey.  

Since the start of the rainy season in June of this year, torrential rainfall has led to the collapse of more than 12,000 houses, the flooding of nearly 6,000 hectares of cultivable land, and the death of more than 10,000 livestock. As of 24 September, more than 238,000 people had been affected by torrential rainfall and floods in Niger. Thousands of people have been rendered homeless and vulnerable due to the loss of livelihoods. 

Humanitarian organizations are responding to priority needs by providing food, shelter, and non-food items. The Flood Contingency Plan for 2021 aims to help about 583,000 people in flood-prone areas. 

 A multidimensional humanitarian emergency 

 Niger grapples with a complex humanitarian emergency characterized by endemic poverty, the effects of climate change -including seasonal floods and episodes of drought—and insecurity fueled by continuing violence perpetrated by armed groups against civilians. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has further aggravated the humanitarian situation, leading to an exponential increase in needs. This year, the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance and protection in Niger has increased from 2.3 million to 3.7 million. 

About 2 million people face acute and chronic food insecurity from recurrent shocks and climatic effects, while 457,200 children aged 6 to 59 months are exposed to severe acute malnutrition this year. 

Hunger is looming 

Recently, the food crisis has worsened further, particularly in the Tillabéri region, where nearly 600,000 people face the risk of food insecurity, according to preliminary results of a recent assessment mission.  

In total, more than 445 villages will be exposed to food insecurity due to the abandonment of cultivation fields and the difficulties that farmers face in accessing markets. In the Banibangou Department alone, more than 79,000 people are at risk of food insecurity. 

“Due to the deteriorating security situation, people have been forced to abandon their fields. Added to this is the difficulty of accessing markets for selling products and the shrinking purchasing power of the population. This has resulted in intense pressure on household food security”, said Louise Aubin, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Niger.  

Threats to education  

With more than 50 per cent of children between the ages of 7 and 16 out of school, children’s future in Niger is at risk. In recent months, the number of schools forced to close due to insecurity in conflict areas has risen from 312 to 377. In 2020, more than 300 schools had been closed in all parts of the country, affecting nearly 22,000 children. 

The threats to children’s education are particularly acute in the regions of Tillabéry, Tahoua and Diffa. Restricted access to schools in these areas is hampering efforts to support children affected by armed violence. In some areas, up to 80 per cent of children may experience psychological trauma that could prevent them from reaching their full potential as adults. 

“The attacks on schools, students and teachers deny children’s right to education and threaten their future. Without access to education, an entire generation of children living during conflict risk developing without acquiring the skills they will need to contribute to the development of their country and its economy, which will result in exacerbating the already desperate situation”, said Stefano Savi, UNICEF Representative in Niger. 

Through UNICEF, the United Nations system in Niger is helping the government address the situation. In 2020, more than 176,000 children affected by security and displacement crises were supported as part of educational continuity support. By March 2021, in addition to the children already supported as part of the response to the humanitarian crisis, 68,000 additional children, including 23,000 girls, had accessed education through formal and informal education systems. A total of 28,000 children had each received learning materials. 

Support has also been provided to displaced and conflict-affected families whose children need to be reintegrated into the formal education system. When such integration into “mainstream” schools is not possible, UNICEF works with partners to create alternative, safe and temporary learning environments for the children. 

Cholera outbreak    

Niger has also been dealing with a cholera epidemic affecting six out of the eight regions in the country. Some 4,907 cholera cases have been recorded countrywide, of which 153 led to death. About 55 per cent of the cases are female.  

National health workers and humanitarian medical partners are responding to the epidemic through the management and treatment of cases at cholera treatment centres that have been set up in the affected regions.  

The health response also consists of strengthening surveillance activities, the pre-positioning of cholera control supplies, community engagement in hygiene promotion messages, and the distribution of water purification tablets. In addition, the World Health Organization (WHO) has donated equipment and medical kits worth US$308,000 in response to the epidemic. 

 However, with a case fatality rate of 3 per cent, the response has not been enough to contain the epidemic. 

“We need to boost the quality of our services to cholera patients in order to reduce mortality. More experienced health experts are highly required, while refresher training sessions are organised for first-line health responders. Time is of the essence, and we must act now and very quickly to save lives,” said Dr Tambwe Didier, Health Cluster Coordinator in Niger. 

 UN CERF funding helps to provide support 

On 21 September 2021, Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths allocated US$8.5 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund to support the response to people affected by internal displacement, floods and cholera in Niger. 

 “These funds will enable UN agencies, including UNICEF, WHO, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to provide health care, water, sanitation and hygiene services, shelter, non-food items, protection services and educational support to more than 720,000 people. They will finance the provision of emergency aid to more than 81,600 vulnerable people, including newly displaced people, returnees and members of host communities in the regions of Diffa, Maradi, Tahoua and Tillabéri” said Humanitarian Coordinator Louise Aubin.  

The original version of this story was published in English by Laura Fultang on the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Niger’s website.  Translation and editorial collaboration by Ahmed Ben Lassoued, Development Coordination Office.  To learn more about the results of our work with data and beyond, please read the latest UNSDG Chair Report on DCO.