EU, UNICEF Complete Airlift of 200 Tonnes of Humanitarian Aid to Niger

Five days ago, the diplomatic service of the European Union (EU) announced the completion of a humanitarian airlift to Niger, in collaboration with the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF)..Two flights carrying 200 tonnes of humanitarian aid were chartered in mid-June in response to calls from humanitarian actors on the ground, the EU's press release said..What You Need to Know.Four regions with the most in-need populations, namely, Tillaberi—which has been the scene of several terrorist attacks in recent weeks—Tahoua, Maradi, and Diffa, benefitted from the aid lift that aimed to "support populations in dealing with malnutrition and stock shortages of medicines in certain health centers.".According to the EU, more than 4.3 million Nigeriens are in need of humanitarian aid currently, with the nation ranked 189th of 191 nation's in the 2022 United Nations Development Index..Exacerbating the humanitarian crisis is the nation's deteriorating security environment due to the existence of multiple armed groups in the country such as Boko Haram, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wa al-Muslimeen (JNIM), the Islamic State in Greater Sahara (ISGS), and ISIS-West Africa. In addition, supply chain constraints, with Niger being landlocked, coupled with the threat posed by the armed groups in the country have contributed to crisis..Despite pulling most of its funding upon the deposing of the country's elected President Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023, the EU has stated that in 2024 it allocated $26.7 million dollars to humanitarian aid in Niger, making it one of Niger's main humanitarian donors..In addition to aid from the EU, are sanctions against some of the country's officials in General Abdourahanmane Tiani's military junta..As a result, the Nigerian military government has repealed legislation against migrant trafficking as well as terminated EU military missions in the country..In addition to the millions of civilians in need of humanitarian aid are approximately 370,000 civilians internally displaced in the country. Amnesty International also claims that in the post-coup environment, civil liberties have been severely curtailed, with journalists, activists, and opposition politicians harassed or detained..In a 2023 report, the rights group claimed that around 9,000 refugees and migrants had been deported from Algeria to Niger, with a following UN report stating that the "current human, logistical, and financial resources in Niger were not adequate to care for all migrants.".Additionally, UNICEF data has outlined that at least 1.5 million children under the age of five in the country are to be "likely victims of malnutrition, with at least 430,000 of them expected to suffer from the deadliest form of malnutrition.".So, What Now?.As is the case in many of the Sahel's coup-hit nations, Niger, since deposing its elected President in July 2023, has suffered international and regional condemnation, with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposing severe sanctions on the country in the aftermath of the coup, including closing borders, imposing a no-fly zone, and threatening military intervention. These measures, coupled with the pulling of aid by the EU, US and other institutions, pushed the country to later withdraw from ECOWAS, call for the withdrawal of US military personnel in the country, and establish strong economic and diplomatic relations with Russia..While the distribution of humanitarian aid is a welcome development by the impoverished civilians in the country, unless reform in all levels of government and civil society is implemented, it is unlikely to alleviate the suffering of the population in the long term, meaning mass aid donations may become a norm in the country.