By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo

Nearly 64,000 Nigerians have fled their homes and crossed into neighbouring Niger Republic since the beginning of 2026 to escape escalating violence involving Islamist militants and armed criminal gangs, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has disclosed.

The UN refugee agency, in a briefing issued on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, warned that the growing influx was creating a deepening humanitarian and protection crisis in Niger, which is already hosting more than 500,000 refugees and asylum-seekers.

According to UNHCR, approximately 327,500 Nigerians are already seeking refuge in Niger, while several hundred others have reportedly crossed into neighbouring Benin Republic because of worsening insecurity in northern Nigeria.

The agency’s Director of External Relations, Dominique Hyde, said most of the newly arrived Nigerians had settled in the border regions of Diffa, in southeastern Niger, and Tahoua, in the western part of the country.

In October alone, about 1,200 Nigerians crossed into Diffa, while another 3,400 arrived in Tahoua.
UNHCR disclosed that more than 23,000 people, over two-thirds of them children, had arrived in Diffa since the beginning of the year.

The agency expressed concern over the difficult conditions facing the displaced families, many of whom are living in makeshift shelters without adequate food, clean drinking water, healthcare and other essential services.

It said some women were forced to walk several kilometres daily to fetch water for their families, while humanitarian organisations had reported increasing cases of malnutrition, respiratory infections and poor sanitation among the new arrivals.

The refugee agency also raised concerns over the registration of displaced Nigerians, revealing that only about five per cent of those who arrived in Niger this year had been formally registered.

The absence of proper documentation, it warned, was making it difficult for thousands of refugees to access humanitarian assistance and essential public services.

The situation is further complicated by insecurity and climate-related challenges in Niger, particularly in the Diffa region, where more than 70 per cent of the country’s reported security incidents this year have occurred.

Despite the growing humanitarian pressure, UNHCR acknowledged the support provided by Niger’s authorities and host communities, including the allocation of land for temporary shelters.

The agency, however, appealed for increased international assistance, seeking $11.4 million to expand its humanitarian response in Niger, Nigeria and Benin.
The appeal includes $2 million for immediate critical interventions covering food, water, shelter, healthcare, refugee registration and protection.

UNHCR warned that without additional funding, thousands of vulnerable families fleeing violence could be left without essential humanitarian assistance.

Nearly 64,000 Nigerians flee to Niger over insecurity – UNHCR

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