International Organization for Migration (IOM), in coordination with the Ministries of Humanitarian Action and Disaster Managemen and of Public Health in Niger, is starting a six-month emergency response project aimed at assisting displaced persons.
The project is funded by the Government of Japan to the amount of USD 200,000, the project will target 14,000 relocated persons and host community members in the Diffa and Tillabery regions in Niger, where conflict-affected communities lack basic healthcare.
Niger, located in the Sahel region, is one of the weakest developed nations in the world and thus faces critical humanitarian needs. This crisis is exacerbated by a deteriorating security situation, particularly in those parts of the Diffa region bordering Nigeria and Chad, and those of Tillabery bordering Mali, Burkina Faso and Benin.
This volatile security context adds to an already fraught situation where limited access to basic services–such as education, healthcare, and running water–leave large segments of the population vulnerable to disease outbreak and other risks. Niger is particularly vulnerable to meningitis, measles, cholera, Rift Valley fever, polio, and malaria –each of these exacerbated by the recent global COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally, access to basic health services is often more limited for internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees, returnees, and remote border communities.
IOM will assist healthcare workers by presenting transport to targeted areas, as well as transport for patients to health facilities on an ad hoc basis. Healthcare workers will focus essentially on providing support with pre- and post-natal care and vaccination campaigns and also will provide for other medical care as needed.
