Crisis overview
Niger continues to face a complex humanitarian crisis marked by persistent insecurity, recurrent climate shocks and socio-economic challenges exacerbated by humanitarian access restrictions. These factors heavily impact people’s livelihoods and access to basic services and require urgent interventions to protect the most vulnerable.
As of 30 September 2025, Niger registered 938,000 displaced persons (internally displaced persons, refugees and returnees), or an increase of 5.7% compared to 2024. The regions of Tillabéri, Diffa and Tahoua are most affected. Dosso, a region bordering Tillabéri in the North and Nigeria in the South, has seen a deterioration in its security situation since 2024.
The Protection Cluster reported 1,175 protection incidents with 2,423 victims in the period of January to June 2025, mostly in the regions of Tillabéri, Diffa, Maradi and Tahoua. An intensification in civilian attacks in 2025 remains a major humanitarian concern, impacting internally displaced persons and refugees as well as the host community.
According to the Ministry of National Education, 1,097 schools are non-functional due to security constraints, affecting 93,676 students, 48% of whom are girls. The region of Tillabéri alone counts for 1,032 non-functional schools, affecting 89,514 students. Moreover, this year’s floodings damaged 1,929 classrooms (collapsed, cracked, damaged roofs), further disrupting schooling. The concentration of school closures in high-severity areas reinforces the need to maintain focused humanitarian support despite tighter people in need criteria.
Diffa, Niger
Young women in Boudouri (internally displaced, refugees and members of the host community) gather and talk under a tree during a joint field mission.
OCHA / Ibrahim BanaDespite a generally satisfactory agropastoral season in 2025, the risk of food insecurity remains high due to ongoing insecurity and climate-related shocks. This is particularly evident in the regions of Tillabéri and Diffa, where 126 localities were unable to plant crops due to insecurity and prolonged dry spells that delayed or destroyed sowing efforts. Across the country, extreme weather events—such as hailstorms and floods—caused partial or total destruction of rain-fed crops. Exceptional rainfall affected approximately 542,000 people, destroying 54,891 homes and 10,400 hectares of farmland.
Nutritional needs remain critical, with 412,000 children under the age of five suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM), and 2.2 million people facing food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 and above) , according to the December 2024 IPC analysis.
These shocks have significantly reduced the purchasing power of vulnerable communities. During community consultations, affected populations identified food security and access to education as their top two priority needs.
In response to the worsening situation, the 2026 Humanitarian Response Plan targets 32 departments—an increase from 31 in 2025—based on the Joint Intersectoral Analysis Framework (JIAF). The humanitarian response is structured around three major shocks: armed violence, climate hazards (floods and droughts), and health epidemics (such as cholera).
Response priorities and financial requirements for 2026
For 2026 response planning, the humanitarian country team (HCT) has adopted a hybrid approach which involves developing an HNRP based on the needs expressed by affected communities through community consultations and secondary data analysis. On the latter, a scope analysis was conducted to focus on the most vulnerable individuals in those departments where the combination of shocks (armed violence, population displacements, infrastructure destruction, climate hazards, and health epidemics) is most critical. 32 departments out of the country’s 63 departments were retained in five regions of Niger, namely Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Tahoua and Tillabéri. The populations concerned by the humanitarian response are internally displaced people (IDP), refugees, returnees, and the host communities.
An estimated 2.6 million people are in need across 32 of the country’s 63 departments, of which 1.6 million people will be targeted to receive humanitarian assistance in 2026. $449 million is required to respond to humanitarian needs in Niger in 2026, representing a 25% reduction compared to the 2025 budget. This budget is based on the unit cost per person targeted. The people targeted represent the highest-severity needs within the people in need, maintaining a clear and transparent link between analysis, prioritization, and available resources to respond.
For areas outside the scope of the response plan, advocacy will be conducted to address the structural needs resulting from prolonged crises by strengthening community resilience. Continuous monitoring of the situation will be maintained to detect new or sudden shocks and adapt the humanitarian response accordingly.
Considering the Humanitarian Reset, the strategy of prioritization continues in 2026. It is envisioned to simplify the humanitarian coordination mechanisms and promote the localization agenda, with more direct responsibilities for national and local organizations, including women-led organizations. OCHA Niger will leverage the Regional Humanitarian Fund (FHRAOC) to directly fund national and local NGOs and advance the localization agenda. The capacities of national and local NGOs will be strengthened. Similarly, the central role of the government in coordinating humanitarian assistance will be supported at the national and regional levels by working closely with government technical services and the Communal Coordination Committees (area-based coordination).
According to the operational 3W of June 2025, 77 humanitarian organizations are operational in Niger to provide lifesaving aid and assistance to vulnerable people. This represents a 31% reduction compared to 2024. This reduced presence reinforces the importance of maintaining focused, well-prioritized humanitarian assistance.
Diffa, Niger
Displaced families at the Boudouri site received food kits provided to support newly arrived internally displaced persons.
OCHA / Ibrahim BanaFor areas outside the scope of the response plan, advocacy will be conducted to address the structural needs resulting from prolonged crises by strengthening community resilience. Continuous monitoring of the situation will be maintained to detect new or sudden shocks and adapt the humanitarian response accordingly.
In light of the Humanitarian Reset, the strategy of prioritization continues in 2026. It is envisioned to simplify the humanitarian coordination mechanisms and promote the localization agenda, with more direct responsibilities for national and local organizations, including women-led organizations. OCHA Niger will advocate for direct financing of national and local NGOs through the CERF and Regional Humanitarian Funds, like FHRAOC. The capacities of national and local NGOs will be strengthened. Similarly, the central role of the government in the coordination of humanitarian assistance will be supported at the national and regional levels by working closely with the government technical services and the Communal Coordination Committees (area-based coordination).
According to the operational 3W of June 2025, 77 humanitarian organizations are operational in Niger to provide lifesaving aid and assistance to vulnerable people. This represents a 31% reduction compared to 2024.
Niger
2025 in review: Response highlights and consequences of inaction
Response highlights
People affected
In 2025, humanitarian actors assisted the most vulnerable people affected by different shocks with 18.5 per cent of the required funding to assist 2.1 million people targeted.
FTS, 24 October 2025Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan
As of 30 September 2025, humanitarian partners in Niger have reached 727,680 people across at least one sector, representing 34 per cent of the 2025 HNRP target.
Consequences of funding cuts
Operations were significantly impacted by global cuts in humanitarian budgets in 2025, particularly the reduction in US funding. This significantly reduced the response capacities of humanitarian partners who provide lifesaving assistance, further exposing vulnerable persons’ access to basic services. For example, it is estimated that 1.3 million persons targeted under the HNRP 2025 are at risk of not receiving vital multisectoral assistance. Key humanitarian mechanisms are also affected by budget constraints, such as the Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM), which constitutes an essential part of multisectoral emergency response for populations displaced due to sudden shocks. BHA-funded RRM activities were suspended in January 2025.
Insecurity, administrative and logistical constraints continue to restrict humanitarian actors’ access to people in need. The use of armed escorts for all movements of humanitarian organizations, imposed by the authorities since 8 April 2024, remains in effect. Moreover, the provision of lifesaving assistance is delayed since it passes through the Burkina Faso corridor, which is used as an alternative, as the border with Benin remains closed. These constraints also increase the cost of humanitarian operations. Without sustained support, these access and funding constraints will continue to widen the gap between needs and the ability to respond, despite more precise identification of who is in most humanitarian need.
References
- Data from the PASSN ministry and its partners
- Protection Analysis Bulletin January – June 2025
- Protection Analysis Bulletin January – June 2025
- December 2024 Harmonized Framework