83 migrants were rescued last Thursday from a remote area in the Sahara Desert in a joint-operation by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the General Directorate for Civil Protection (DGPC) in Niger’s northern Agadez region.
The migrants, who were being transported in four pickup trucks to Libya, were abandoned after the smugglers spotted military vehicles and fled rather than risk being arrested. The migrants said the smugglers took all their belongings before fleeing.
The IOM said that among the 83 people were 42 men and 41 women, with most of them being Nigerians. Other nationalities identified among the migrants were from Ghana, Mali and Togo.
According to the IOM, the area in which the rescue happened is one where hundreds of migrants are believed to have perished from dehydration, vehicle accidents and assault over the years.
The IOM noted that it was common for vehicles carrying migrants to break down in the desert and for smugglers to get lost or abandon their passengers fearing checkpoints or military patrols.
The migrants were found in a poor state, suffering from dehydrated, injuries and in need of immediate medical assistance.
“We were stranded for three days without food or water. We searched for water, but all we found were dirty wells used by livestock. So, we were not able to drink at all,” one of the migrants said.
The migrants were transferred to a COVOD-19 facility in Dirkou where they were are to be kept under quarantine for 14 days after which those who wish to return will be enlisted in a voluntary return programme.
The Mayor of Dirkou Boubacar Djaram praised the joint operation by the IOM and the DGPC.
“The migrants rescued last Thursday were found in an isolated place far from any form of life. Without this collaboration between IOM and Civil Protection, these people would have perished without a trace.”
The IOM said that 404 migrants had been rescued in 2020 alone through its Search and Rescue (SAR) team operations in Agadez and Dirkou.
Additionally, in the last four years, 1,876 migrants have been rescued in Niger’s Ténéré Desert through joint operations by the IOM, DGPC and local authorities.
