Nearly 64,000 people have fled violence in northern Nigeria for neighbouring Niger since the start of 2026, the UN refugee agency UNHCR said on Tuesday, warning of a deepening humanitarian emergency. Most have crossed into the border regions of Diffa and Tahoua, and UNHCR is seeking $11.4 million to expand its response across Niger, Nigeria and Benin.

The arrivals are escaping attacks by Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters and armed gangs, in a region where overlapping security crises have forced millions from their homes over the past 25 years. Niger was already hosting more than half a million refugees and asylum-seekers before this year, including about 327,500 Nigerians, and several hundred more Nigerians have sought refuge in Benin.

Children make up most new arrivals in Diffa

Diffa, in south-eastern Niger, has received more than 23,000 people since the start of the year, with children accounting for over two-thirds of those arrivals. In October alone, around 1,200 people crossed into Diffa and another 3,400 into Tahoua, in the west. Only about five per cent of the Nigerians who arrived this year have been formally registered, leaving many without the documents needed to reach aid and public services. Conditions are particularly severe in Diffa, which has accounted for more than 70 per cent of Niger's reported security incidents this year.

Shelter, water and food under strain

Newly arrived families face high levels of malnutrition, limited access to food and clean water, makeshift shelters and poor hygiene, with humanitarian partners reporting widespread respiratory infections. Women have described walking several kilometres to collect water for their families. Education is another concern, with no schools or transitional classes at some locations for children arriving from Nigeria's English-language education system, while Hausa is the sole official language of Niger. Drought and irregular rainfall have compounded the crisis: 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. "Without additional resources, thousands of vulnerable families risk being left without essential assistance and protection as displacement continues," said UNHCR's Dominique Hyde, who praised the "remarkable solidarity" of Niger's authorities and host communities. UNHCR is seeking $11.4 million to scale up the emergency response, including a $2 million appeal for immediate needs such as water, food, shelter, health care, registration and protection.