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 | UNIFIL
UN peacekeepers are supporting civilians who’ve chosen to stay in the south amid deadly dangers from Israel-Hezbollah clashes, UNIFIL spokesperson Kandace Ardiel tells us.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR , WFP
Middle East war fallout: Hundreds of thousands flee Lebanon to Syria; vital food aid blocked – UN agencies
The trauma of mass displacement and humanitarian supply chain disruptions throughout the world are among the devastating impacts of the war raging in the Middle East, UN humanitarians warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA
Bitterness, sadness and pride for UNRWA staff, says departing chief
Asking the softly spoken, veteran humanitarian worker Philippe Lazzarini how he feels as he comes to the end of his second term as the head of the UN agency for Palestinians, UNRWA, is perhaps an unfair question.
1
1
1
Edited News | IFRC , UN WOMEN , UNHCR , UNICEF , WHO
Middle East war causes civilian terror and disrupts aid, but some relief efforts resume.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk addressed the Human Rights Council, delivering a video statement on the strike that hit a girls school in Minab, Iran recently, calling for accountability and protection of children.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
A new UN Human Rights report published on Tuesday details the human rights impacts of the expanding reach of gangs in Haiti. According to data verified by the Office, at least 5,519 people were killed in Haiti, and 2,608 were injured between 1 March 2025 and 15 January 2026.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights spokesperson Marta Hurtado on Tuesday described the deadly impact of drone strikes in Sudan.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO , OHCHR
Sudan: Hospital strike highlights surge in drone attacks on civilians
The death toll from a horrific attack on a hospital in Sudan’s Darfur has risen further, amid a “sharp increase” in drone attacks against civilians this year, UN agencies said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNCTAD
Middle East conflict impacts global trade, raising oil and commodity prices due to disruptions.
3
1
3
Press Conferences , Edited News | WMO
WMO State of the Global Climate 2025 report - UNDER EMBARGO 0400 GMT (0500 CET) Monday, 23 March 2026
UN weather agency warns of record ‘climate imbalance’ as planetary warming accelerates
All-time high greenhouse gas concentrations in our planet’s atmosphere continue to drive heat records on land and sea, with long-lasting consequences for humanity, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has warned.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
A UN Human Rights Office report released today on Israel’s settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan made the following remarks on Tuesday concerning the deadly blast at a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul: