Nearly 64,000 Nigerians have abandoned their homes and crossed into neighbouring Niger Republic since the start of 2026 to escape relentless attacks by Islamist militants and armed bandits, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has revealed.

In a briefing issued on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, the UN refugee agency warned that the rapid surge of displaced persons is triggering a severe humanitarian and protection emergency in Niger, a nation already straining to host over 500,000 refugees and asylum-seekers.

According to UNHCR data, roughly 327,500 Nigerians are currently sheltered across Niger, while hundreds more have fled into neighbouring Benin Republic due to deteriorating security conditions across northern Nigeria.

UNHCR’s Director of External Relations, Dominique Hyde, noted that the bulk of the recent arrivals have settled in Niger’s border regions of Diffa in the southeast and Tahoua in the west.

In October alone, approximately 1,200 Nigerians entered Diffa while another 3,400 crossed into Tahoua. Overall, more than 23,000 people, over two-thirds of whom are children, have poured into Diffa since January 2026.

The agency expressed deep concern over the harsh living conditions confronting these displaced families. Many are surviving in makeshift shelters without access to adequate food, healthcare, or clean water, with women forced to trek several kilometres daily in search of water. Aid workers have also flagged rising cases of malnutrition, respiratory infections, and poor sanitation among the new arrivals.

While commending Nigerien authorities and local communities for allocating land for temporary settlements, UNHCR issued an urgent international appeal for $11.4 million to scale up relief operations across Niger, Nigeria, and Benin.

ID