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Thousands Flee Violence in Northwestern Nigeria for Safety in Niger

Lisa Schlein

   GENEVA - The United Nations refugee agency reports surging violence in
   northwest Nigeria has prompted more than 7,500 refugees to flee for
   safety into neighboring Niger.

   Wanton violence by armed groups and communal clashes in northwestern
   Nigeria have been going on for years. But U.N. refugee agency spokesman
   Boris Cheshirkov says there has been an alarming spike in recent
   months.

   He says the number of violent incidents in the first two months of 2021
   is higher than the number recorded for all of last year.

   "Refugees describe gruesome murders, kidnappings for ransom, and looted
   villages. Many have also been caught up in clashes between farmers and
   herders as well as vigilantism, as self-defense groups are being set up
   in most villages. People fleeing are in urgent need of water, food,
   shelter, and health services. Most have fled empty handed in the bush
   to save their lives," he said.

   The safety they have found, however, is of a tenuous nature as the
   Maradi region in southern Niger. Cheshirkov says the region hosts
   nearly 100,000 internally displaced people. He says rising violence
   inside Niger this year has forced 3,500 of its citizens to flee their
   homes.

   "UNHCR teams in Niger have recorded a spike in deadly violence inside
   Maradi itself, with more casualties and serious incidents reported in
   January and February 2021 then in the whole of the second half of