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Nearly 600 African migrants in Algeria were "abandoned" in the desert before being rescued, said Sunday an official in Niger
"Three days ago a first wave of 180 arriving from Niger (the Nigerian city) Agadez was followed by another wave of at least 400 foreigners, "said a local official at AFP
who said on condition of anonymity that the migrants , including children and many women, had been "abandoned". Terrible conditions near the border with Niger.
"According to the migrants, they were taken near the border and thrown out," he said, "they left with a minimum of food and water". 50 kilometers before being rescued.
Some of the migrants were now sick, he said, adding that all were being cared for by local authorities and other West African authorities and the International Organization for Migration. Representative of Niger Giuseppe Loprete said in a tweet his gency had helped 391 migrants from 16 nationalities including Ivorians, Senegalese, Guineans and Cameroonians "abandoned on the border with Niger and Algeria".
Since the beginning of the year, IOM has conducted 18 rescue operations.
The IOM reported a sharp increase in the number of migrants crossing the border between Algeria and Niger, from 135 in May 2017 to 2,888 in April this year.
Migrants, including children and many women, were "abandoned" in "the usual atrocious conditions near the border with Niger" in the Algerian desert
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