The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) says nearly 64,000 Nigerians have fled to Niger Republic this year alone to escape insecurity.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Dominique Hyde, UNHCR spokesperson, said several hundred Nigerians had also reportedly fled to Benin Republic over worsening attacks from Islamist militants and armed gangs.
Hyde said the influx was stretching resources in Niger, one of the world’s poorest countries, which already hosts more than 500,000 refugees and asylum-seekers.
At least, 327,500 Nigerians are said to be seeking refuge in the neighbouring country.
“Thousands of newly arrived refugees, many of them children, are struggling to survive with limited access to food, clean water, shelter and essential services, as humanitarian resources fall critically short,” the statement reads.
Hyde said most of the new arrivals had settled in the border regions of Diffa and Tahoua.
According to Reuters, more than 23,000 people, over two-thirds of them children, have reached Diffa alone since the beginning of 2026.
The UNHCR spokesperson added that many families were living in makeshift shelters, while women often walk several kilometres each day to fetch water.
Aid agencies have reported rising cases of malnutrition, respiratory infections and poor sanitation among new arrivals.
Protection concerns are also growing. Only about five percent of refugees in Niger who arrived this year have been formally registered, leaving many without the documentation needed to access aid and public services.
Hyde said insecurity and climate-related pressures were worsening humanitarian needs, noting that more than 70 percent of Niger’s reported security incidents this year occurred in the Diffa region.
UNHCR is seeking $11.4 million to expand its response in Niger, Nigeria and Benin, warning that thousands of displaced families could be left without basic assistance unless additional funding is secured.
