The UN rights chief expressed grave concerns for the people of Niger. “The people have already been through so much hardship over the years. Now, the very people who they elected to build a pathway to end their destitution have been removed by force,” he said.

This call was echoed by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representative on the ground, Stefano Savi, in an interview with UN News. He called for a reopening of the border so that humanitarian supplies and more urgently needed humanitarian staff could be admitted to meet rising needs.

He said it was imperative to allow in vaccines stranded at humanitarian hubs.

According to the Organization, in 10 days, departures for over 1,000 migrants, primarily from Mali and the Republic of Guinea, were cancelled or postponed. Meanwhile, around 1,800 migrants are awaiting assistance outside IOM transit centres, which host around 5,000 people at seven transit point strategically positioned along migration routes.

In the first half of 2023, more than 60,000 migrants travelled through Niger. IOM said that recent border and airspace closures have led to overcrowding in its centres, where thousands of migrants are hosted as many wait to return home.

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