Nicole Kouassi, Resident Coordinator and Acting UN Humanitarian Coordinator, was speaking from the capital, Niamey, hours after the general whose troops kidnapped the democratically elected President declared he was taking control of the country.
On behalf of UN agencies on the ground, she echoed the UN Secretary-General’s condemnation of Wednesday’s coup against President Mohamed Bazoum, who is believed to be still being held at his home .
A difficult situation
Ms Kouassi expressed concern about the current “difficult situation” in Niger, where 4.3 million people, mostly women and children, were already dependent on aid before the coup.
Some 3.3 million people face food insecurity, while the $534 million appeal is only just over 30% funded, she said. , calling for increased support.
The United Nations and international aid groups continued to deliver aid in the context of the crisis. However, United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) flights have been temporarily suspended due to the closure of airspace and territorial borders.
“All humanitarian and development partners remain committed to supporting the vulnerable population of Niger who are affected by a combination of climate, economic and security shocks in the context of very high humanitarian and development needs,” said the senior official. UN.
The answer never stopped
According to the National Director of the World Food Program (PAM), Jean-Noël Gentile, “the humanitarian response continues on the ground and has never stopped”.
WFP is providing cash and food assistance in Niger and will continuously assess the situation to ensure that its staff and partners can safely access people in need.
No warning signs were noticed. We woke up in the morning and we were faced with the situation
“Only if security is an issue will we be able to temporarily suspend some operations in certain areas. But that’s not the case right now,” he said.
Impact of border closures
The crisis could potentially affect the humanitarian response across the region, which continues to face the impacts of conflict, drought, insecurity and other challenges.
Gentile said WFP recently established a logistics hub in Niamey as a transit point for hard-to-reach areas in neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali, which are only accessible through Niger.
The agency has also facilitated the delivery of humanitarian aid to Chad, which is currently hosting hundreds of thousands of people fleeing conflict in Sudan. “Closing the borders will therefore temporarily suspend this vital cross-border logistical support.”
Gentile said WFP was working on alternative routes in both cases.
Meanwhile, the UN refugee agency, the HCRhas not witnessed “particular movements” linked to the coup, said Emmanuel Gignac, Deputy Representative in Niger.
UNHCR monitors regular movements of internally displaced people in Niger or flows of refugees from Burkina Faso, Mali and north-west Nigeria.
No warning signs
In response to a question from a journalist, Ms. Kouassi said that UN agencies were in contact with the military, stressing that they had no political mandate.
Journalists also asked if there had been any warning signs before the coup, or if UN officials had seen personnel from the Russian private military company Wagner Group in Niger. Mrs. Kouassi answered in the negative to these two questions.
“No warning signs were noticed,” said the Resident Coordinator adding, “We woke up in the morning and we were confronted with the situation. And so far, no sign of Wagner from a UN point of view.”
2023-07-28 21:33:20
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