UNHCR - "Contribution in support of people of concern to UNHCR in Lebanon, Syria, Mali and Niger"

Niger continues to face unprecedented humanitarian challenges resulting from years of volatility, conflict and growing militia activity in the neighboring countries, such as Nigeria, Mali and Burkina Faso. Thousands of persons are forced to flee armed groups’ attacks in their villages, violence and several violations of their human rights in order to seek refuge in Niger, particularly at the borders with the regions of Tillaberi, Maradi, Diffa and Tahoua where the increase of military operations continue to cause forced international and internal displacement. As of April 2022, UNHCR Niger operation estimated 584,881 displaced persons. Out of the total number, 410,242 persons (202,136 refugees and asylum seekers, and 208,106 IDPs), corresponding to 70 percent of the total population, were hosted in Tillaberi (36,886 refugees and 99,873 IDPs), Tahoua (20,629 refugees 11,070 asylum seekers and 40,416 IDPs) and Diffa (129,942 refugees, 3,612 asylum seekers, and 67,817 IDPs). Since January 2022, close to 30,000 Malians and Nigerians have fled to Niger. At the end of April 2022, the number of refugees and IDPs in Tillaberi and Tahoua was 201,371. These new arrivals are integrating the already existing flow of displaced persons in the Tillaberi, Tahoua, and Diffa regions arrived in the previous years. In Diffa region, border-crossing with Nigeria and movements in the Gueskerou, Toumour, and Bosso roads remain restricted since 2019. The limitation of formal economic exchanges with Nigeria has resulted in a continuous increase in the price of essential goods for the population, which has been furtherly aggravated by COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021 and the recrudescence of armed groups’ attacks perpetrated even in the center of Diffa city in 2021. Attacks against the population – including the trademark use of kidnappings – continue to threaten populations and humanitarian workers. At the end of April 2022, the Diffa region hosted 236,862 Nigerian refugees, IDPs, and Nigerien returnees, over 80 percent of whom live in spontaneous settlements. The local authorities in the region continue to advocate for the return of the IDPs to their areas of origin. UNHCR, through the humanitarian country team, will support the Government of Niger in creating an environment where conditions for return in safety and dignity are met and returning IDPs can reintegrate in their areas of origin. The project has the purpose of supporting refugees, asylum seekers, and IDPs in Tillaberi, Tahoua, and Diffa regions in Niger to attain favorable protection environments through border monitoring and realize their basic rights in safe environments with regular to humanitarian assistance, i.e., core relief items, an adequate quantity of water and sanitation, and access to education. The expected results are: Result 1 - Refugees and asylum seekers will have improved access to the asylum system in Tillaberi, Tahoua, and Diffa regions through enhanced systematic border monitoring. Result 2 – Refugees, asylum seekers, and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) will have improved access to humanitarian assistance through providing core relief items, availability of an adequate quantity of water, development of sanitation facilities, and supporting their access to education.

Attaining a Favorable Protection Environment Border monitoring Since the deterioration of the security situation along all borders of the Central Sahel and Lac Chad Basin areas (namely borders between Niger and Nigeria, Mali and Burkina Faso), UNHCR will continue to implement its strategy to strengthen the protection response and border monitoring for PoCs fleeing to or within the borders of Niger. This activity - which includes collecting, verifying, and analyzing information to identify human rights violations and protection risks encountered by refugees, IDPs and other affected populations, including advocacy, referral, and provision of multisectoral assistance – remains paramount to discover and prevent arbitrary detention due to lack of documentation, child abuse, gender-based violence, limited access to protection services and socio-economic assistance, etc. Realizing Basic Rights in Safe Environments Provision of Basic Domestic Items (CRIs) UNHCR will continue to ensure provision of basic Core Relief items (CRIs) to beneficiaries in Tahoua region, including sanitary materials, through a cash-based assistance program to respond to their immediate basic needs. While UNHCR continues to advocate for an holistic access of its beneficiaries to adequate assistance by the humanitarian and/or national socio-services, the intervention will provide assistance to vulnerable beneficiaries in order to ensure their dignity and well-being and avoid that local communities already affected by lack of resources and a difficult economic situation to be overcharged by the presence of UNHCR’s beneficiaries toward them. Provision of adequate potable water and sanitation facilities The environmental situation in the concerned regions is challenged by constant climate change issues, drastic or deserting environments, and droughts affecting the population’s access to water, sanitation, food, farming activities for livelihood, etc. Supporting Access to Primary Education Despite considerable efforts by the Government of Niger and the Humanitarian Community, the country continues to have an extremely fragile public education system. Due to the traumatizing experience of fleeing their homes, many refugees, asylum seekers and IDPs children are forced to give up on their education. Despite this difficult situation, 58,726 refugee children in Niger had access to primary education in 2021 through various supports, in particular, the construction of school infrastructure, the provision of school, didactic and pedagogical materials, capacity building for teachers and protection in the school environment.