Suffering in Silence
More than 2.1 million children need humanitarian help in Niger
Highlights
Conflict, displacement, floods, diseases and malnutrition in Niger have put 3.8 million people, more than half of them children, in need of humanitarian assistance. UNICEF is calling for increased attention to their plight.
Niger is facing a prolonged, multidimensional crisis, including recurring armed conflict, displacement, malnutrition, epidemics and climate-related disasters such as floods. In addition, the context is also characterized by structural challenges and the socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19.
In 2021, 3.8 million people, including 2.1 million children, will need humanitarian assistance in Niger. Many of those in need are in hard-to-reach areas with limited humanitarian access.
Persistent hostilities between armed groups along the borders with Burkina Faso, Libya, Mali and Nigeria have led to significant displacements. The growing number of internally displaced persons, refugees, returnees and migrants in Niger is straining the resources of host communities and increasing their vulnerability.
Attacks on civilians in the Lake Chad region have prevented nearly 266,000 people in Diffa from returning home. Insecurity along the borders with Burkina Faso and Mali have exacerbated needs in Tillabéry and Tahoua, where over 195,000 people are displaced. In addition, over 64,000 people who have fled inter-communal violence in northern Nigeria are currently living in the Maradi region.
Exceptionally heavy flooding affecting over 640,000 people has highlighted the country’s vulnerability to climate-related threats, seriously undermining food security, nutrition and access to water.
In 2021, an estimated 2.7 million people will experience food insecurity; an estimated 1.6 million children under five will suffer from malnutrition, including 457,200 children who will suffer from severe acute malnutrition (SAM); and 1.1 million people will require access to emergency Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services.
COVID-19 has placed an additional strain on the health system, resulting in delays to life-saving vaccination campaigns. This may lead to rising cases of measles and polio.
COVID-19-related school closures have affected 3.7 million students, and nearly 400,000 children may remain out of school due to insecurity or damage caused by flooding.
As humanitarian needs continue to rise, especially in regions bordering Burkina Faso, Mali and Nigeria, in part due to the socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19, household coping mechanisms will be further stretched.
In this context of acute vulnerabilities, girls are at risk of abduction, forced marriage and sexual exploitation, while boys are at risk of being economically exploited for work or recruited into armed groups. Children without appropriate care, including children on the move and children living in the street, are particularly vulnerable.
