ReliefWeb

BURKINA FASO

NEARLY 4,500 PEOPLE NEWLY DISPLACED IN GOROM GOROM

The number of newly-displaced people arriving in Gorom Gorom, in northern Oudalan province, Sahel region, following armed confrontation between non-state armed groups (NSAGs) and security forces on 28 June has increased to 4,457 according to the latest information from local authorities, up from the 952 new arrivals reported on 30 June. Humanitarian partners are organising a response to the initial needs of the new arrivals, including food and nonfood distributions.

MALI

NEW DEADLY ATTACK IN MOPTI REGION

On 1 July, at least 32 civilians were reportedly killed in an attack by unidentified armed men in localities around 30 km from the border with Burkina Faso. Around 2,400 people have fled their homes following the attack. According to the UN SecretaryGeneral report on Mali, 443 civilians were killed in the country from January 2020 to end of May 2020.

NIGER

ABDUCTED HUMANITARIAN WORKERS FREED IN TILLABERI

Nine humanitarian workers abducted on 24 June by non-state armed group (NSAG) members while on a mission to identify vulnerable populations for food assistance in southwestern Tillabéri region, near the borders with Burkina Faso and Mali, have been released on 1 July. It was the first kidnapping of humanitarian workers reported in the area, where attacks by NSAGs are becoming more regular and increasingly deadly.

NIGERIA

TWO CIVILIANS KILLED, AID HELICOPTER HIT IN CLASHES IN DAMASAK

On 2 July, non-state armed group (NSAG) operatives clashed with the military in Damasak, northeastern Borno state, near the Niger border. Two civilians lost their lives in the attack, including a five-year old child.
Several others were injured, and a humanitarian helicopter was hit, sustaining serious damage. The Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria condemned the attack and requested a suspension of helicopter flights in the north-east to allow for the security situation to be reassessed. On 5 July, President Buhari reassured the international community of commitments to ensuring their safety. UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) helicopters in 2019 facilitated the movement of nearly 67,000 aid workers and 147 megatons of humanitarian cargo including medicine and conducted 100 medical and security evacuations across hard-to-reach locations across Borno state.

15 PEOPLE KILLED IN KATSINA STATE

According to a statement by the state police, some 200 armed men aboard motorcycles invaded Yar Gamji village in Batsari LGA on 6 July, in northwestern Katsina State, targeting farmers working in the field. At least 15 bodies were recovered. Cities of Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto have been worst hit in recent months, with at least 70 people killed in an attack in Katsina mid-April. On 26 June, UNHCR announced that since April over 30,000 Nigerian new refugees had arrived in Niger’s Maradi region. Most of the people fleeing are women and children. The total number of Nigerian refugees in the area now exceeds 70,000.