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ABOUT THIS REPORT
This report analyses the humanitarian consequences of a marked escalation in violence against civilians in Niger’s western regions in 2025, reflected in both an increase in the number of incidents and a sharp rise in fatalities in events coded as violence against civilians. Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) recorded approximately 712 fatalities in such events in 2025, compared to 312 in 2023 and 333 in 2024, an increase of over 120% from 2023 (ACLED accessed 08/01/2026). This escalation has been particularly pronounced in the western regions of Tillabéri and Tahoua – particularly in Tillabéri’s rural border departments of Bankilaré, Gothèye, Say, Téra, and Torodi – bordering Mali and Burkina Faso, with increasing spillover into parts of Dosso.
This report examines how increasing violence against civilians has disrupted service provision and civilian mobility, contributing to multisector humanitarian impacts. The analysis addresses the implications for civilian protection and displacement dynamics, as well as for food security, education, health needs, and humanitarian access in conflict-affected areas.
This analysis was prompted by a convergence of trends observed in 2025 that distinguished the current situation from previous years: quantitative increases in civilian harm and documented protection incidents reported by humanitarian responders alongside the simultaneous contraction of the humanitarian operational presence amid stricter enforcement of regulatory compliance measures. In midNovember 2025, only around 135 organisations remained authorised to operate nationally, compared to more than 300 international and over 3,000 national NGOs previously registered (RFI 17/11/2025). While these regulatory measures apply nationwide, their operational impact appears particularly acute in insecure western regions, where the intensity of violence is highest, suggesting a geographic overlap between areas experiencing escalating civilian harm and those facing a reduced humanitarian presence.
Taken together, high sustained levels of violence and reduced operational presence may be contributing to the narrowing of the protection space in western Niger, including reduced monitoring capacity, fewer community-based protection activities, and more limited referral pathways for affected populations. This assessment is based on reported operational disruptions and incident trends throughout 2025.