This past Saturday, 80 migrants were saved in the desert – 382 km from the city of Agadez, thanks to a search and rescue mission organized by IOM Niger in collaboration with the Directorate General of Civil Protection.
After spending three days stuck in the desert due to a mechanical breakdown, their smugglers eventually abandoned them. Previously, smugglers used known routes that often passed through transhumance wells, but now they bypass these places for fear of being discovered by military patrols. Unfortunately, this weekend, extreme dehydration caused the loss of life of two of them.
The 80 survivors received the necessary first aid and are now recovering from this ordeal in the IOM transit center in Agadez.
IOM Niger’s search and rescue activities are supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands(Nederland en Afrika)and European Union in Niger.
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