The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Niger - IOM calls for a humanitarian corridor to help stranded migrants home
The UN migration agency (IOM) strongly advocated on Friday for the establishment of a humanitarian corridor to organize the safe, dignified and voluntary return of migrants stranded in Niger to their countries of origin and facilitate aid delivery to conflict-affected areas.
“We are appealing for resources to make sure that we can continue providing essential services to these stranded migrants,” said Chris Gascon, IOM Regional Director for West and Central Africa, when briefing journalists at the UN in Geneva.
Following the 26 July military takeover, neighbouring countries closed their borders and flights were suspended.
According to the UN, Niger hosts more than 710,000 forcibly displaced people including refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced persons. The majority of the migrants staying at IOM's transit centres across the country are from western Africa: Mali, Guinea, Senegal and Nigeria.
In his call for the humanitarian corridor, Mr. Gascon stressed that at this time, “there are no possibilities for us to organize charter flights and consequently people will remain there for weeks and months.”
“Our capacity to assist them will, of course, depend a great deal on the resources that we can garnish to reach populations who are obviously vulnerable and in great need. At this time, we are somewhat limited in our capacity to do so,” Mr. Gascon said.
IOM’s operations in Niger are constrained by limited funding. The $430 million humanitarian appeal for Niger is currently only 30 per cent funded and to provide assistance to migrants in transit centers, the UN agency requires at least a million dollars a month.
Mr. Gascon underscored that the agency was managing seven transit centers, the main one being in Agadez in the northwest of the country. In total, IOM was hosting 4,800 migrants, he said, and the transit centres were 40 per cent over capacity.
The reported announcement of the country’s military leaders late Wednesday to bar UN agencies as well as non-governmental organisations from working in military operation zones will have further impacts on the aid delivery in Niger.
The UN’s humanitarian affairs coordination office (OCHA) said on Friday that it was reaching out to the de facto authorities in Niger to better understand the implications of this announcement.
Some 4.3 million people in Niger, mainly women and children, are dependent on aid.
-ends-
STORY: Urgent action for Niger crises - IOM
DURATION (TRT): 1’47”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH, NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 1 September 2023, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
FORMAT: HYBRID PRESS BRIEFING
- Exterior medium shot: UN flag alley, UN Geneva
- Wide shot: speakers behind podium, attendees at the press conference, screens with attendees
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Chris Gascon, IOM Regional Director for West and Central Africa: “We are appealing for resources to make sure that we can continue providing these essential services to these stranded migrants. In this vein as well, IOM is advocating for the establishment of a humanitarian corridor so that we can return people to their countries of origin. At this time, there are no possibilities for us to organize charter flights and consequently people will remain there for weeks and months.”
- Wide shot: attendees at the press conference, screens with speaker
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Chris Gascon, IOM Regional Director for West and Central Africa: “We are managing a number of transit centers, the principal one is in Agadez in the North-West of the country. We are presently hosting 4,800 migrants. This overwhelms pretty much the capacity that we have. The Agadez center itself can hold about a thousand people, the other transit centers are seven in total. We are all 40% over capacity at this point.”
- Wide shot: attendees at the press conference, screens with attendees, cameramen and sound engineers in the background
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Chris Gascon, IOM Regional Director for West and Central Africa: “Our capacity to assist them will, of course, depend a great deal on the resources that we can garnish to reach populations who are obviously vulnerable and in great need. At this time, we are somewhat limited in our capacity to do so.”
- Wide shot: speakers and attendees at the press conference, screens with speakers
- Medium shot: cameramen and sound engineers at the press conference
- Close shot: attendee asking a question at the press conference
Similar Stories
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:
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan made the following remarks on the impact of Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , OHCHR , WFP
Middle East war may deepen global hunger; mass displacement, rights violations on the rise
The Middle East war could cause the worst disruption to humanitarian work since COVID, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Tuesday.
2
1
2
Statements , Conferences , Edited News | HRC
The UN’s top human rights forum gathered in Geneva on Monday, where Member States highlighted the growing civilian toll of war in the Middle East, sparked by Israeli and U.S. bombing of Iran, counter-strikes by Tehran against Gulf states and Israeli shelling of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in response to attacks by the armed group.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNIFIL , UNFPA , IOM , UNHCR
As the UN Secretary-General touched down in Beirut on Friday in solidarity with the people of Lebanon, UN agencies highlighted the dangers for civilians and particularly pregnant women and migrant workers, amid ongoing airstrikes and rocket fire between Hezbollah fighters and Israel.
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | HRC
Russia’s deportations of Ukrainian children amount to crimes against humanity: independent UN rights probe
Scores of Ukrainian children are still missing after being deported far and wide across Russia and occupied territories while their families continue to search for them, human rights investigators said on Thursday.