Conflicts in Sudan and across the Sahel region have compromised protection for migrants who continue to face “unimaginable horrors” on major migration routes to Europe, according to new report from the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). The absence of critical services placed refugees and migrants “at great risk of harm and death” and also triggered dangerous secondary journeys, says Vincent Cochetel, a senior UNHCR official. To remedy the situation and save lives, Cochetel called on donors and stakeholders to support the UNHCR’s humanitarian work and that of local partners in targeted locations. “This includes better access to legal pathways to safety and improving protection services for victims, as well as those at risk of becoming victims along the routes,” he explained. One such place is northern Niger’s major migration hub of Agadez through which thousands of migrants head towards Libya each year and where the security situation remains extremely dangerous.

Source: The North Africa Journal June 10, 2024 10:33 UTC