Humanitarian crisis persists in Assamaka despite aid initiatives. Deported migrants make an urgent appeal to their heads of state and the African Union.
From 29 April to 4 May 2023, the coordination of Alarme Phone Sahara (APS) in Niger carried out a humanitarian research and support mission in Assamaka, a desert village on the Niger-Algeria border, where thousands of migrants are being deported from Algeria in unbearable conditions. APS missionaries note that the humanitarian crisis in Assamaka persists despite aid initiatives on the ground. Faced with this situation, migrants stranded in Assamaka are making an urgent appeal to the heads of state of their countries of origin and also to the African Union.
Report by Alarme Phone Sahara, Assamaka May 2023
Guinean migrants deported from Algeria launch an urgent appeal
to Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, President of Guinea Conakry
Report by Alarme Phone Sahara, Assamaka May 2023
Ivorian migrants deported from Algeria launch an urgent appeal
to Alassane Ouattara, President of Ivory Coast
Since March 2023, Alarme Phone Sahara and Doctors without Borders (MSF) have been raising the alarm about the situation in Assamaka. Since then, several practical initiatives have been launched: The authorities of the Agadez region have set up a working group composed of institutional and civil society structures. The Italian NGO COOPI has set up a shelter with sheds in Assamaka and is also collaborating with the Alarme Phone Sahara team, which is helping to keep supplies flowing for the deported people with its tricycle. The European Union has also released an urgent humanitarian aid budget through ECHO, the Directorate-General for Civil Protection and European Humanitarian Aid Operations.
According to Alarme Phone Sahara's observations, there are still more than 7500 deported migrants stranded in Assamaka. 3700 of them are housed in a temporary centre with sheds installed by COOPI. 1800 people are in the IOM transit centre. In addition, there are still more than 2000 people who did not get a place in the centres and are homeless in the village.
For the latter, the situation is most precarious: Their only choice is to create improvised shelters to sleep and seek shade under the hot desert sun. They lack drinking water and also clothes and shoes. According to the report of the missionaries, people have been running to collect the 600 pairs of shoes given by APS, as they are in such need.
The main causes of this still unbearable situation are, on the one hand, the mass deportations from Algeria that continue to take place regularly and, on the other hand, the fact that the evacuation of people from Assamaka, although urgently needed, is progressing only slowly so far.
Faced with this miserable situation, migrants of different nationalities trapped in Assamaka, including nationals from Guinea Conakry and Ivory Coast, are urgently appealing to the heads of state of their countries of origin and also to the African Union to come to their rescue and get them out of Assamaka.
In solidarity with them, Alarme Phone Sahara demands:
- Immediate and rapid evacuation of all deportees of all nationalities currently stranded in Assamaka!
- Immediate stop of all deportations from Algeria to Niger and cancellation of deportation agreements between Algeria and Niger!
- Freedom of movement and indivisible human rights in Africa and everywhere - no to externalisation and closing of borders!