The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
STORYLINE
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk called on Friday for Niger’s democratically elected officials to be released “at once”, following their detention by coup leaders last month. In a statement released on Friday, Mr. Türk urged the generals to immediately restore constitutional order.
Speaking in Geneva, his spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said that Mr. Türk had “grave concerns” for the people of Niger. “The people have already been through so much hardship over the years. Now, the very people who they elected to build a pathway to end their destitution have been removed by force,” she said.
Ms. Shamdasani noted that Niger was one of the poorest countries in the world, with nearly half of the population living on less than $2.15 a day and millions reliant on humanitarian assistance.
She deplored that the country’s people have been forced to endure “even more misery” following the coup, which has triggered border closures, trade interruptions and a surge in food prices. Even before the coup, over three million people were chronically food insecure according to the UN World Food Programme, and close to half of all children under five were suffering from chronic malnutrition. The OHCHR spokesperson reiterated Mr. Türk’s call for “full and free access for humanitarian assistance” to allow “critical food, medical and other relief supplies into the country”.
Ms. Shamdasani said there had been a “very worrying” clampdown on civic space which was impacting freedom of expression and public assembly. This included allegations of intimidation against journalists and bans on international media outlets. She also noted that recently there has been a “deeply troubling” pattern of unconstitutional changes in government by military forces in West Africa – the Niger putsch being the sixth in the region in the past three years. “The costs are always borne by the local population,” she said, warning that the coup had taken away the “key hope” and “key platform” that people had to try to resolve the “very difficult, serious problems that the country is facing on the economic front, on the security front, on every front”, she told journalists.
ends
STORY: NIGER HUMAN RIGHTS UPDATE - OHCHR
TRT: 02:38”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 16 AUGUST 2023, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
- Exterior wide shot, United Nations flag flying.
- Wide shot of panel.
- SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) Ravina Shamdasani, OHCHR spokesperson: “The UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, expresses grave concern for the people of Niger who have been forced to endure even more misery following last month's military coup. He calls on the generals to immediately restore constitutional order.”
- Close of speaker with screen in background.
- SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) Ravina Shamdasani, OHCHR spokesperson: “Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, extremely vulnerable to climate change. The people have already been through so much hardship over the years. Now, the very people who they elected to build a pathway to end their destitution have been removed by force against the constitutional order and detained by the coup leaders. They must be released at once and democracy restored.”
- Mid of camera filming briefing.
- SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) Ravina Shamdasani, OHCHR spokesperson: “Nearly half of the population of Nigeria's mired in extreme poverty, living on less than $2.15 a day, and millions are reliant on humanitarian assistance. Since the coup, their situation has worsened. The landlocked country's borders have been shut, trade has come to a standstill, there have been severe power cuts and food prices have risen.”
- Wide of attendees at briefing.
- SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) Ravina Shamdasani, OHCHR spokesperson: “The High Commissioner calls for full and free access for humanitarian assistance, including goods, flights and personnel to allow critical food, medical and other relief supplies into the country.”
- Close of attendees at briefing.
- SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) Ravina Shamdasani, OHCHR spokesperson: “Clampdown on civic space, including allegations of intimidation against journalists, bans on international media outlets and other restrictions impacting freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are also very worrying.”
- Close of attendees with speaker in background.
- SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) Ravina Shamdasani, OHCHR spokesperson: “The High Commissioner said the recent pattern of unconstitutional changes in government by military forces in West Africa, the Niger push is the sixth in the region in the past three, years is deeply troubling and the costs are always borne by the local population.”
- Close of attendee typing.
- SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) Ravina Shamdasani, OHCHR spokesperson: “This coup has taken away that key hope that people had and that key platform that people had to really be involved in resolving the very difficult, serious problems that the country is facing on the economic front, on the security front, on every front.”
- Close of laptop with speaker in background.
- Side view of attendees at briefing
- Close of attendees typing.
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
‘A disease you get when you care for someone’: on the frontlines of the Ebola crisis with WHO
Two weeks into the latest Ebola outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) is estimating that there are 906 suspected cases of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including 223 suspected deaths.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on 29 May called for more robust measures by both states and tech companies to make online platforms safer for children, insisting on effective regulation, oversight and accountability. The digital world that connects children to learning, community and creativity also expose them to real risks, to their safety, to their privacy, and to their well-being. Online harms to kids’ safety, privacy, and well-being are not innate or inevitable.
See High Commissioner video: https://media.un.org/unifeed/en/asset/d357/d3579089
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA , WHO
Gaza: Life-saving medicines blocked as killing continues, disease gains ground
In Gaza, a dire humanitarian situation marked by continuing violence, rodent infestations and the spread of diseases is being made worse by blockages of essential medical supplies, UN agencies warned on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights spokesperson Shabia Mantoo, warned against the continuing trend of involuntary returns of Afghan refugees and asylum-seekers from host countries to Afghanistan, in violation of international human rights and refugee law, at the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | IFRC , OHCHR
Lebanon's first responders face high risks amid conflict, with 116 killed since March.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
DRC Ebola outbreak: hundreds of suspected cases, no vaccine
A fast-spreading Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has health workers rushing to stop transmission while the roll out of any potential vaccine is months away, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
A UN Human Rights Office report released today covers 19 months of large-scale violations of international law including atrocity crimes, from October 2023 to the end of May 2025.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF
At least six million people in Somalia are going days without enough food, UN aid teams warned on Friday, highlighting that nearly two million of this number are young children “at high risk of illness or death”.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF , WHO
Children shot, stabbed and pepper-sprayed in occupied West Bank; scores of Gaza amputees denied prosthetics, aid teams warn
Israeli military operations and surging settler attacks in the occupied West Bank are killing and maiming Palestinian children, while in Gaza tens of thousands with life-changing injuries lack access to treatment and rehabilitation, UN agencies warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
The risk of hantavirus spreading to the general population is “absolutely low”, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) stressed on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR , IFRC
Death and destruction have continued unabated in Lebanon while communities are still unable to return to their homes despite a ceasefire that began on 17 April, humanitarians said on Tuesday.