Humanitarian aid blocked at the border between Niger and Benin: an urgent situation to resolve
In an already precarious situation, Niger faces a new obstacle in the delivery of humanitarian aid. More than 9,000 tonnes of goods from the World Food Program (WFP) are stuck on the border between Niger and Benin, following the closure of the borders after the coup.
WFP convoys, which usually use routes via Benin and the port of Cotonou, as well as through Nigeria, now find themselves blocked. With the only alternative being to cross Burkina Faso, the security situation makes the task particularly difficult.
“For the moment, the trucks that were intended to return via Benin and Nigeria cannot return. They have to be redirected to Burkina Faso and that takes time,” explains Jean Noel Gentile, WFP representative in Niger. This redirection requires complex logistical organization and securing the convoy through Burkina Faso, which causes considerable delays in the delivery of humanitarian aid.
Faced with this situation, the WFP is looking for alternative routes to deliver aid to Niger. One possibility would be to go via Cameroon and Chad, involving transporting the cargoes by boat to the port of Douala, then crossing Cameroon or Chad to reach Niger. However, this solution also takes several weeks and presents security and logistical challenges.
Discussions are underway between the WFP and the Nigerien authorities to find a solution for the opening of a humanitarian corridor. This situation highlights the urgency of guaranteeing the free flow of humanitarian aid to meet the essential needs of the population of Niger.
In conclusion, the situation of the 9,000 tonnes of goods blocked at the border between Niger and Benin highlights the logistical and security challenges that humanitarian organizations face. It is essential to quickly find solutions to guarantee access to the necessary aid for vulnerable populations in Niger.