Although border closures, insecurity, and other challenges continued to disrupt supply chains, including for medicines and nutrition products, our teams treated an increased number of children in the facilities we support in Maradi, Zinder, Tahoua, and Diffa regions between June and November—the so-called lean season, when rainfall is heaviest and food stocks are depleted. In Magaria, we carried out an indoor residual spraying campaign in partnership with the national malaria control program in 25 villages to curb the proliferation of mosquitoes, which transmit malaria. In Madarounfa, we hired an additional 200 health care workers to cope with the influx of malnourished and sick children. In Diffa, we collaborated with local health authorities to open 40 community-based health care sites to treat malaria and referred patients requiring further care to the hospitals we support in Diffa and Nguigmi.
People in the Tillabéri region have extremely limited access to health care and other essential services due to armed violence and forced displacement. In addition to our general care in Torodi, our teams supported the hospital in Tera and four other health facilities, including Bani Bangou health center where we set up an operating theater. Through 28 community-based health care sites, we supported bringing care for malaria, respiratory infections, and diarrhea closer to home.
MSF continued to assist people migrating through Agadez, many of whom had been expelled from Algeria and left stranded in the desert. Our teams provided mental health support along migratory routes, facilitated protection referrals for vulnerable people, and continued advocating for the dignity and security of migrants. We also ran search and rescue activities in the desert and distributed relief items such as hygiene kits and blankets.
