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Country analysis

Niger


Insecurity stemming from crises in neighbouring countries affects the population in Niger. In Diffa region, where a state of emergency has been in place since 2015, Boko Haram continues to carry out sporadic attacks on civilians. Since September 2018, the Burkina Faso border area has seen increasing non-state armed group attacks against the local population and authorities, leading to the declaration of states of emergency in several departments.

In Tillabéri and Tahoua regions, in the border area between Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, attacks by non-state armed groups affiliated with either Al Qaeda or the Islamic State continue to force thousands of people to flee. By August 2024, there were more than 507,000 IDPs in Niger, and the country hosts nearly 414,000 refugees and asylum seekers mainly from Nigeria and Mali.

Insecurity considerably limits children’s access to education. By 30 June 2024, insecurity had closed 937 schools. Diffa, Maradi, Tahoua, and Tillabéri are the regions most affected by school closures.

A military coup in July 2023 resulted in sanctions on the country imposed by ECOWAS, the US, the EU, and others, including border closures that pose humanitarian access issues and disrupt of trade flows. Insecurity is also disrupting access to livelihoods and markets.

(UNHCR accessed 21/08/2024, IOM accessed 10/02/2024, UNICEF 16/08/2024, Helvetas 31/08/2023)

Insecurity stemming from crises in neighbouring countries affects the population in Niger. In Diffa region, where a state of emergency has been in place since 2015, Boko Haram continues to carry out sporadic attacks on civilians. Since September 2018, the Burkina Faso border area has seen increasing non-state armed group attacks against the local population and authorities, leading to the declaration of states of emergency in several departments.

In Tillabéri and Tahoua regions, in the border area between Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, attacks by non-state armed groups affiliated with either Al Qaeda or the Islamic State continue to force thousands of people to flee. By August 2024, there were more than 507,000 IDPs in Niger, and the country hosts nearly 414,000 refugees and asylum seekers mainly from Nigeria and Mali.

Insecurity considerably limits children’s access to education. By 30 June 2024, insecurity had closed 937 schools. Diffa, Maradi, Tahoua, and Tillabéri are the regions most affected by school closures.

A military coup in July 2023 resulted in sanctions on the country imposed by ECOWAS, the US, the EU, and others, including border closures that pose humanitarian access issues and disrupt of trade flows. Insecurity is also disrupting access to livelihoods and markets.

(UNHCR accessed 21/08/2024, IOM accessed 10/02/2024, UNICEF 16/08/2024, Helvetas 31/08/2023)

Latest updates on country situation

28 August 2024

In the past three months, Niger has experienced its most severe flooding since 2020, affecting over 353,000 individuals and damaging 46,525 households by 20 August 2024. The floods have resulted in 217 fatalities and 200 injuries, with significant destruction to infrastructure and agriculture. Between 6 May and 16 August, the floods destroyed approximately 3,800 hectares of arable land, along with over 16,766 livestock. The southern regions, particularly Maradi, Tahoua, and Zinder, have been the hardest hit in terms of affected people and damaged houses. By 27 August, the capital city, Niamey, was still nearly isolated since 22 August as a result of rising floodwaters submerging major roads, with residents relying on canoes for transportation. During the continuing rainy season, the urgent needs of affected populations include essentials such as blankets, mats, soap, and mosquito nets. (CARE 23/08/2024, IFRC 20/08/2023, Qiraat African 27/08/2024)

30 July 2024

Heavy rains affecting Niger since June 2024 have caused flooding, leading to casualties and damage. By 22 July, the impact had affected at least 37,900 people, killed another 53, destroyed 1,626 houses and 29 schools, and led to the loss of 10,930 heads of livestock. Such events are aggravating the existing humanitarian crisis in the country, which already had over 4.5 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, including over 864,600 displaced people, by 8 December 2023. Food insecurity also persists in the country, with Crisis (IPC Phase 3) outcomes expected in Diffa, Maradi, Tahoua, and Tillabéri regions from June–September 2024. (ECHO 25/07/2024, Humanitarian Action 08/12/2023, FEWS NET 10/07/2024)

30 April 2024

Between 15–17 April 2024, 600 people (90 households), mainly women and children, fled their houses in the village of Dibblo in Kokorou municipality and found shelter in Tera municipality in Tillabéri region. These displacements occurred following a non-state armed group attack on 15 April that killed 13 people. Such incidents have displaced over 30,000 people since the beginning of the year and pose protection issues for civilians in the region. (OCHA 29/04/2024, Journal du Niger 16/04/2024)

09 January 2024

From 5–6 January 2024, drone strikes by the Nigerien army killed an unknown number of civilians in Tiawa village, Tillabéri region. The incident adds to a series of violence against civilians, most of which are attributed to non-state armed groups in the region. In November 2023, the incidence of civilian kidnappings and killings increased compared to previous months. Insecurity has weakened social cohesion in the region and resulted in reprisals and serious violations, taking the number of departments with a very high severity level of protection needs from 5 to 10 between 2022–2023. From January–September 2023, 18% of the reported cases of gender-based violence took place in Tillabéri region, with actual figures probably higher given the underreporting of cases. Women and children are among the groups most affected by protection incidents. (UNHCR 19/12/2023, RFI 07/01/2024, Protection Cluster 30/11/2023)

29 August 2023

As at 21 August, over 88,000 people have been affected by seasonal floods across Niger. At least 32 people have died, and 35 were injured. The floods have also caused the collapse of more than 7,800 houses and the death of over 3,000 livestock. Maradi is the most impacted region, with nearly 29,000 people affected so far. Most urgent needs include shelter and NFIs. The number of affected people is likely to increase significantly since the heaviest rainfall is expected in late August or early September. An estimated 300,000 people are expected to be affected between July–September, with Dosso, Maradi, and Zinder at higher risk of flooding. Crop losses in damaged fields, property destruction, and loss of animals will contribute to worsening food insecurity. Stagnant and polluted waters also bring increased risks of waterborne diseases such as cholera. (OCHA 24/08/2023, ANP 24/08/2023, IFRC 21/08/2023)

23 March 2023

Since the beginning of 2023, more than 20,000 people have been displaced in several departments of Tillabéri and Tahoua regions, with people fleeing incursions, extortion, kidnappings for ransom, killings, and cattle thefts by non-state armed groups. The most urgent needs for the newly displaced include food, WASH, shelter and NFIs, healthcare, protection, and education.


Insecurity continues to limit access to schooling in both regions, which are the most affected by school closures in Niger. As at December 2022, 780 schools were closed in Tillabéri and 32 in Tahoua, respectively affecting more than 68,000 and 2,900 students. School closures particularly affect children who do not have access to alternative learning modalities – that is, those living in remote areas or areas not accessible by humanitarian organisations because of insecurity. Out-of-school children are exposed to protection risks, such as child labour, forced marriages, and, in conflict zones, recruitment into non-state armed groups. (OCHA 23/03/2023), (ANP 17/02/2023), (Education Cluster et al. accessed 28/03/2023), (OCHA 06/01/2023)

current crises
in Niger


These crises have been identified through the INFORM Severity Index, a tool for measuring and comparing the severity of humanitarian crises globally.

Read more about the Index

NER006 - Complex crisis

Last updated 27/08/2024


Drivers

Conflict
Displacement
Drought
Floods
Food Security
Violence

Crisis level

Country

Severity level

3.6 High

Access constraints

3.0

NER002 - Lake Chad basin crisis

Last updated 26/09/2024


Drivers

Conflict

Crisis level

Country

Severity level

3.4 High

Access constraints

3.0

NER003 - Cross-border violence

Last updated 26/09/2024


Drivers

Conflict

Crisis level

Country

Severity level

3.5 High

Access constraints

3.0

NER004 - Nigerian Refugees

Last updated 26/09/2024


Drivers

Displacement

Crisis level

Country

Severity level

3 Medium

Access constraints

2.0

REG001 - Lake Chad basin regional crisis

Last updated 26/09/2024


Drivers


Crisis level

Regional

Severity level

4.3 Very High

Access constraints

4.0

Analysis products
on Niger

Niger: flooding

30 August 2024

Niger: flooding

DOCUMENT / PDF / 491 KB

Since May 2024, Niger has been facing its worst flooding since 2020. By 20 August, authorities had reported that over 46,500 households and more than 353,200 individuals had been affected, with 217 deaths and 200 injuries across the country. 

Natural hazards
Niger: cross-border displacement in Agadez, Maradi, Diffa, and Tillaberi regions

22 May 2024

Niger: cross-border displacement in Agadez, Maradi, Diffa, and Tillaberi regions

DOCUMENT / PDF / 2 MB

Niger has become a country of transit and destination for people on the move. Until 3 May, Niger was hosting around 417,000 refugees and asylum seekers, primarily from Nigeria (over 57%) and Mali (over 31%), with the remaining hailing from various other countries, including Burkina Faso, Chad, and Sudan.

Displacement

Attached resources

Niger: flooding

29 August 2023

Niger: flooding

DOCUMENT / PDF / 246 KB

The floods are likely to extend the lean season, increasing the risk of food insecurity. In 2023, people will likely experience Crisis (IPC Phase 3) or worse food insecurity levels, as the coup, food price inflation, import/export challenges, and lost livelihoods and remittances further constrain food availability in the coming months

Food security & livelihoodsNatural hazards
Lake Chad Basin: Impact of extreme weather & climate events on food security

17 August 2022

Lake Chad Basin: Impact of extreme weather & climate events on food security

DOCUMENT / PDF / 1 MB

This report aims to explore the impact of extreme weather and climate events on the humanitarian situation in the Lake Chad Basin. Since the 1970s in West and Central Africa, river floods and agricultural and ecological droughts have been increasing while average rainfall has been decreasing. These phenomena have an impact on availability of resources and land, and consequently on the economic and living conditions of the regions’ populations.

Food security & livelihoodsNatural hazards
Nigeria and Niger: Cholera outbreak

18 November 2021

Nigeria and Niger: Cholera outbreak

DOCUMENT / PDF / 2 MB

This report highlights the impact of the outbreak considering the current conflict environment and other aggravating factors.

Health
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