The New Humanitarian welcomes new CEO Ebele Okobi.

Find out more
  1. Home
  2. Africa

In the news: At least 20 dead in Niger aid distribution stampede

Fifteen women and five children among the casualties in region hosting more than 250,000 displaced people.

A group of Nigerian refugees finds shade under a tree in Niger's Diffa. More than 250,000 displaced people are hosted in the region. Anouk Delafortrie/EC/ECHO
A group of Nigerian refugees finds shade under a tree in Niger's Diffa. More than 250,000 displaced people are hosted in the region.

A stampede during an aid distribution operation in Niger’s southeastern Diffa region left at least 20 refugees from neighbouring Nigeria dead on Monday, local authorities said.

The refugees were queuing at a community centre for food rations and clothing donated by the governor of Nigeria’s Borno State when the crush happened, killing 15 women and five children.

The border region of Diffa has been repeatedly struck by Boko Haram militants in recent years, and currently hosts more than 250,000 displaced people – around half of them refugees from Nigeria – according to the UN.

Militant groups have also expanded their footprint in Niger’s western Tillabéri and Tahoua regions – which share a border with Mali and Burkina Faso – creating a humanitarian crisis that saw roughly 80,000 people displaced last year.

Read more → Niger, part 1: At the centre of a brewing militant storm

Boko Haram and its Islamic State West Africa Province offshoot remain potent forces in Nigeria and the wider region, and are increasingly targeting aid workers, the UN said last month.

– Philip Kleinfeld

Share this article

Get the day’s top headlines in your inbox every morning

Starting at just $5 a month, you can become a member of The New Humanitarian and receive our premium newsletter, DAWNS Digest.

DAWNS Digest has been the trusted essential morning read for global aid and foreign policy professionals for more than 10 years.

Government, media, global governance organisations, NGOs, academics, and more subscribe to DAWNS to receive the day’s top global headlines of news and analysis in their inboxes every weekday morning.

It’s the perfect way to start your day.

Become a member of The New Humanitarian today and you’ll automatically be subscribed to DAWNS Digest – free of charge.

Become a member of The New Humanitarian

Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

Join