Violence in northern Nigeria is fueling a growing humanitarian crisis across the whole region: 64,000 have fled to neighbouring Niger and several hundred have left for Benin since the start of the year, as host countries struggle to cope, the UN's refugee agency ( UNHCR ) said on Tuesday.
Northern Nigeria has been experiencing multiple, overlapping security crises involving jihadist insurgencies, armed banditry, and farmer-herder conflicts, forcing millions from their homes over the past 25 years.
Swarming into Niger
Most this year have fled to Niger, which is already struggling with insecurity, climate shocks and overstretched services.
Before the start of 2026, the landlocked West African nation was already hosting more than half a million refugees and asylum-seekers, including some 327,500 from Nigeria, alongside large numbers of internally displaced (IDPs).
In October alone, around 1,200 people crossed into Diffa, in south-eastern Niger, and another 3,400 into Tahoua, in the west, both bordering Nigeria.
Conditions are particularly dire in Diffa, which has accounted for more than 70 per cent of Niger's reported security incidents this year, including armed attacks and violence against civilians.
Drought and irregular rainfall have also devastated agriculture and pastureland. Grain production is expected to be insufficient in around 700 of the region's 1,000 villages, while an estimated 70 per cent of pastureland has been lost.
Dire humanitarian needs
Newly arrived refugees, many of them children, face very difficult living conditions, UNHCR stressed.
Malnutrition levels are high as access to food and clean water is limited, with refugee women describing having to walk several kilometres to collect water for their families.
Many are also living in makeshift shelters that offer little protection from the elements, and humanitarian partners are reporting poor hygiene and widespread respiratory infections.
Essential services
Only around five per cent of Nigerian refugees who arrived this year have been registered, with lack of funds hampering the effort.
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. Hausa is the sole official language of Niger.
'Remarkable solidarity'
Despite being dealt a difficult hand, Niger's authorities and host communities are demonstrating "remarkable solidarity" with Nigeria's refugees, UNHCR's Dominique Hyde said, including by making land available for temporary shelter.
However, their capacity to support growing numbers of refugees is increasingly stretched, and UNHCR is calling on the international community to urgently scale up their assistance.
The UN agency is seeking $11.4 million to scale up the emergency and solutions response in Niger, Nigeria and Benin, including a $2 million appeal for immediate critical needs to support water, food, shelter, health care, registration and protection.
"Without additional resources, thousands of vulnerable families risk being left without essential assistance and protection as displacement continues," Ms. Hyde said.
