Les réfugiés du Centre humanitaire d’Agadez au Niger ont accusé le Haut-Commissariat des Nations Unies pour les réfugiés (HCR) et les organisations humanitaires partenaires de négliger leur sort, affirmant qu’ils ont été laissés « oubliés » au milieu du désert.

Les réfugiés, représentés sur X par le compte @refugeesniger, ont formulé ces accusations dans une série de publications mettant en avant ce qu’ils décrivent comme des souffrances prolongées, des violations et un manque d’attention à leurs préoccupations au centre.

Selon le groupe, les réfugiés ont poursuivi une manifestation pacifique devant le bureau du HCR au Centre humanitaire d’Agadez, malgré ce qu’ils ont qualifié de négligence et de violations de leurs droits.

Le groupe a indiqué que le « jour 683 » de la protestation avait été observé sans interruption, en appelant la communauté internationale à se prononcer sur les conditions des réfugiés.

« Les @Refugees au #CentreHumanitaire d’Agadez sont des réfugiés oubliés au milieu du désert, abandonnés par @UNHCRNiger et ses organisations humanitaires partenaires. Merci de parler d’eux et de leur souffrance », a publié le groupe.

Les réfugiés ont également prétendu que le traitement qu’ils avaient reçu au centre soulevait des questions sur les motivations et la conduite de certaines organisations humanitaires opérant dans la région.

« Les abus subis par les réfugiés au centre humanitaire à #Agadez, au Niger, indiquent qu’il existe des motifs cachés au sein des organisations humanitaires et que ces organisations ont un agenda secret », disait un autre post.

Ils ont décrit leur longue protestation comme un symbole de résilience, de sacrifice et d’engagement envers leurs revendications, insistant sur le fait qu’ils continueraient leur action pacifique malgré les difficultés qu’ils rencontrent.

« Les réfugiés du Centre humanitaire d’Agadez sont un symbole de véritable lutte dans le monde, un symbole de sacrifice et de fidélité aux principes », a déclaré le groupe.

Les déclarations des réfugiés ne fournissaient pas de détails précis sur les violations alléguées ni n’identifiaient d’organisations humanitaires particulières au-delà du HCR Niger et de ses partenaires.

La région d’Agadez, située au centre du Niger, est un important centre de transit et de migration dans le Sahara et a accueilli des migrants, des demandeurs d’asile et des réfugiés touchés par les déplacements et les mouvements migratoires à travers le Sahel.

Ces allégations soulignent les préoccupations persistantes concernant la protection et le bien-être des populations déplacées dans des contextes humanitaires isolés, surtout là où l’accès aux services essentiels et aux solutions durables reste limité.

Yousef Ismail,  a media personality and a member of Refugees in Niger,  has raised fresh concerns over the treatment and living conditions of refugees at the Agadez Humanitarian Centre in Niger, questioning the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) over its handling of the protracted crisis.

In a series of posts on X via his handle, @yousef_ism58349, Ismail challenged United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to provide details of its efforts to locally integrate refugees in Agadez.

Responding to UNHCR Niger’s position that local integration remains the “most immediate and realistic solution” for refugees, Ismail asked how many refugees from Agadez had successfully been integrated into local communities since 2018.

He also questioned the status of the Agadez Humanitarian Centre, which he said was established in 2017 with funding from the European Union, Italy and other partners and jointly managed by UNHCR Niger and the Nigerien government.

According to him, the centre has become a “de facto detention facility”, prompting him to ask whether the United Kingdom government considers UNHCR to be fulfilling its international protection mandate.

“If yes, please explain why. If no, what has the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office done about it?” he asked.

Ismail also appealed to former Iraqi President and former United Nations official Barham Salih, asking whether he had information about refugee camps in Niger and the conditions under which refugees were living.

He specifically raised concerns over the distribution of humanitarian food assistance following cuts attributed to funding shortages.

“Are you aware that after the food aid was cut due to budget shortages, there was no fairness in its distribution?” he asked.

The activist further accused UNHCR Niger of failing to adequately address what he described as discrimination among refugees in the country, particularly those housed at the Agadez centre.

He argued that refugees in Agadez were experiencing treatment different from that of refugees elsewhere in Niger and called for the situation to be addressed.

Ismail said the plight of the refugees should not be treated merely as a news story, describing their struggle as a call for communication, solidarity and concrete action.

“Their struggle is not just news,” he said, urging greater solidarity with the refugees as they seek protection and a better future.

He said the refugees had now spent 663 days engaged in a peaceful protest at the Agadez Humanitarian Centre, demanding their rights, protection and what they described as a dignified and safe life.

The posts come amid sustained calls from refugees and advocacy groups for greater attention to conditions at the Agadez facility and for durable solutions to the situation of refugees who have remained there for extended periods.

An estimated 3.9 million people remained internally displaced in Ukraine as of June 2026, according to a new report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). While the number of internally displaced people has stayed at around 12 per cent of the population since 2023, the report shows that the longer displacement persists, the more families are struggling to meet their basic needs.

Nearly seven in ten internally displaced people have now been away from home for more than two years, underscoring the increasingly protracted nature of displacement in Ukraine. New displacement is also still happening: an estimated 132,000 people were forced to leave their homes between January and June this year alone.

“Stable displacement figures should not be mistaken for stable living conditions,” said Dejan Keserovic, Deputy Chief of Mission at IOM Ukraine. “Many displaced families are exhausting their savings, reducing essential expenses, including health care, and moving into less adequate housing as they try to meet their basic needs. Sustained support remains essential to help people regain stability and make informed, voluntary choices about their future.” 

The report found that 87 per cent of displaced households have had to take at least one difficult step to cope. The most common include using up savings (75%), cutting back on utilities (59%) and reducing health spending (53%). One in five households also reported moving to lower-quality housing, while 17 per cent have fallen behind on rent. 

The pressure has been building steadily — last winter’s harsh weather and long power and heating outages hit already-vulnerable families particularly hard.

Safety remains the biggest factor in people’s decisions about the future: 82 per cent of internally displaced people say they only want to return home once the fighting stops. At the same time, more people are considering settling permanently where they now live — interest in local integration increased from 51 per cent in March to 58 per cent in June 2026, highlighting the need to support displaced families wherever they are, while still keeping an eye on the risks of people returning too soon or unsafely.

Around 2.15 million individuals – 56 per cent of all those displaced in Ukraine – originally came from areas that were fully or partly occupied at the time of the survey. This group has faced longer displacement, greater hardship, and fewer options for going home.

The findings show why emergency aid alone isn’t enough. People need longer-term support with housing, jobs, health care, protection, and other essential services — so they can make informed, voluntary choices, whether that means settling where they are, moving elsewhere, or returning home safely once conditions allow.

The report is based on IOM’s latest survey of the Ukrainian population, carried out between 23 April and 30 June 2026, with support from the Government of Canada, the European Union, Sweden, and the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund.