Reference :
V-P-NE-E-00107
Date :
29/03/2014
Caption :
Agadez. 300 migrants are traveling on a truck.
Confidentiality level :
public
Publication restrictions :
publication without restrictions
Description :
28-04-2014 Operational Update
Each year, thousands of migrants pass through Niger. Many of them travelling this route are in dire need of assistance. In Agadez, a centre run by the Red Cross Society of Niger and supported by the ICRC provides aid to the most vulnerable among them.
"The plight of these migrants is of great concern. When they arrive in Agadez, they're often physically and mentally exhausted," said Jean-Nicolas Marti, head of the ICRC delegation in Niger. "They sometimes travel up to a thousand kilometres across the desert in cramped lorries and sweltering heat. Some die on the way."
These migrants come from sub-Saharan Africa. They may be fleeing conflict or poverty in their countries or simply looking for a better life. Some make it to Libya or Algeria and either stay there or head for Europe; others are stopped on the way or sent home. They include people from Niger itself and from Mali, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic.
From a humanitarian standpoint, their journey is an ordeal. They have to cross regions where conflict and other forms of violence are rife and deal with situations that can seriously affect both their physical and their mental health. "Some are arrested, detained and expelled. They may also find themselves trapped in the desert, destitute and unable to contact their families. They are totally unprotected, which means they are easy prey for attackers. Sometimes they just disappear without a trace," said Mr Marti.
Original material :
digital
Resolution :
5534x3345
Orientation :
landscape
Colour/B&W :
colour
