Niger's humanitarian situation looks set to worsen

Significance

On Niger’s side of the border, by September 27 there were over 5,000 cases across six of the country’s eight regions -- numbers exceeding those of the country’s last major outbreak in 2018. The outbreak compounds Niger’s existing health, natural disaster, food security and displacement challenges, all in the world’s poorest country.

Impacts

• The public health crises and other strains add to the worsening insecurity and COVID-19 burdens.
• Endemic malaria places the rudimentary health system under permanent strain, leaving it ill-equipped to deal with disease outbreaks.
• Rising levels of displacement could slow down efforts to stem the cholera outbreak.