The United Nations’ humanitarian operations in Niger “are suspended” due to the coup d’état, while the country is already facing a “complex” humanitarian situation, announced the UN spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, on Thursday.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) “informs us that humanitarian operations are currently suspended due to the situation,” he told the press. According to OCHA, the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance in Niger has increased from 1.9 million in 2017 to 4.3 million in 2023.
“Despite a relatively successful agricultural season in 2022 and the enormous efforts of the government and its partners to respond to the food crisis, 2.5 million people are suffering from severe food insecurity,” OCHA stated. This number is expected to reach 3 million during the lean season (June to August) before the next harvest.
In the night of July 26 to July 27, 2023, self-proclaimed members of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Nation announced that they had put an end to the regime of the Nigerien President. “We, the Defense and Security Forces (FDS), gathered within the National Council for the Safeguard of the Nation (CNSP), have decided to put an end to the regime you know,” said Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane, surrounded by nine other soldiers in uniform.
