Niger: surge in displaced persons amid armed group threats in western region

Local sources report a significant surge in displacement in the town of Téra, located in western Niger. The influx has overwhelmed the area, with newly arrived displaced persons settling both within the town and its outskirts. These individuals have fled their homes in villages across the southern part of the department since late last month.

Diagourou, a neighboring commune, is experiencing mass exoduses as armed groups, including the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), have ordered residents of nearly three dozen villages to leave. Situated just 10 kilometers from Téra, Diagourou lies along the right bank of the Niger River in a region known as the Three Borders—where Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali converge. This area faces persistent threats from both JNIM and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahel (ISGS), further straining an already fragile humanitarian landscape.

Displaced persons face dire living conditions

Testimonies from the ground reveal that displaced families, including women and children, are living in extremely precarious conditions in Téra. Many have no shelter and are forced to sleep outdoors on unoccupied plots or rely on the generosity of host families. The lack of adequate housing and resources has created a humanitarian crisis in the region.

While precise figures on the latest waves of displacement remain unavailable, estimates suggest that the villages of Diagourou alone are home to thousands of displaced individuals. The sudden and forced evacuations have left communities shattered, with families uprooted and struggling to meet basic needs.