Published: November 12, 2026
Geneva — The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, warned on Tuesday of a deepening crisis that has caused tens of thousands of people to flee from Nigeria to neighbouring Niger and Benin, where problems of malnutrition and disease are surfacing.
Dominique Hyde, UNHCR director of external relations, said at a UN press conference in Geneva that nearly 64,000 people have arrived in Niger fleeing violence in northern Nigeria since the beginning of the year.
”They are adding to the growing humanitarian needs in a country already hosting more than half a million refugees and asylum-seekers, including some 327,500 from Nigeria, alongside people displaced within Niger itself,” said Hyde.
In the past decade, attacks by Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters and criminal gangs have displaced millions of people fleeing the violence.
”The impact of the violence is also being felt further afield, with several hundred Nigerians seeking refuge in neighbouring Benin,” said Hyde.
”Although the numbers remain relatively small compared to arrivals in Niger, these movements highlight the widening geographical impact of insecurity in northern Nigeria and the increasing distances families are travelling in search of safety.”
UNHCR said that most arrivals have sought safety in Diffa, in south-eastern Niger, and Tahoua, in western Niger, both bordering Nigeria, which are already grappling with insecurity, climate shocks and overstretched services.
The refugee agency said in October alone, around 1,200 people crossed into Diffa and another 3,400 into Tahoua, as violence continued to force families from their homes.
THOUSANDS OF NEWLY-ARRIVED REFUGEES
”Thousands of newly arrived refugees, many of them children, are struggling to survive with limited access to food, clean water, shelter and essential services, as humanitarian resources fall critically short,” noted Hyde.
In Diffa, more than 23,000 people, over two-thirds of them children, have arrived since the beginning of the year.
Many are living in makeshift shelters that offer little protection from the elements, while access to clean water remains a major challenge.
”Refugee women describe having to walk several kilometres to collect water for their families. With no nearby health facilities or schools, families are struggling to meet even their most basic needs,” said Hyde.
The UN agency said that protection concerns are growing and only around 5 percent of Nigerian refugees who arrived this year have been registered, due to limited resources.
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,” explained Hyde.
UNHCR said an urgent increase in humanitarian assistance, stronger coordination and additional operational partners are needed to address critical gaps in water, food, shelter, health care, registration and protection.
Beyond emergency assistance, greater investment is needed in livelihoods and longer-term solutions.
The refugee agency said it urged the international community to urgently fill these critical gaps while investing in more stable, sustainable futures for refugees and host communities, as it calls for $11.4 million for emergency solutions in Niger, Nigeria and Benin.
Read the original article on AllAfrica.
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