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Niger army rescues 92 migrants in Sahara Desert | Niger army rescues 92 migrants in Sahara Desert |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Troops in northern Niger have rescued 92 migrants who were on the brink of death in the Sahara Desert, an army statement has said. | |
Traffickers abandoned the group, which included women and children, without water and food, it added. | Traffickers abandoned the group, which included women and children, without water and food, it added. |
One migrant died after being taken to a relief centre, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said. | |
African migrants travel through the desert to reach Libya before crossing the Mediterranean Sea to get to Europe. | |
However, the journey through the desert is perilous as the migrants are crammed into pick-up trucks and have little food or water. | However, the journey through the desert is perilous as the migrants are crammed into pick-up trucks and have little food or water. |
More than 40 people died of thirst in the Sahara Desert about a fortnight ago after their truck broke down. | More than 40 people died of thirst in the Sahara Desert about a fortnight ago after their truck broke down. |
And last June, the bodies of 34 migrants, including 20 children, were found in the Sahara Desert near Niger's border with Algeria. | And last June, the bodies of 34 migrants, including 20 children, were found in the Sahara Desert near Niger's border with Algeria. |
The rescued migrants, who included at least 30 women and babies, were being looked after at a facility in the garrison town of Dirkou in northern Niger, the IOM said. | |
"Usually what happens in such situations is that smugglers try to exploit them," IOM head of mission Giusseppe Lopreta told BBC Focus on Africa. | |
"They ask for more money when they are in the middle of the desert. If they don't pay, they are abandoned." | |
He said the migrants - most of whom were from Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and Burkina Faso - were saved because they were abandoned near a well. | |
The harsh Sahara: By Martin Patience, BBC News, Nigeria | The harsh Sahara: By Martin Patience, BBC News, Nigeria |
The unforgiving conditions of the Sahara Desert mean that a broken down vehicle is often a death sentence for migrants. | The unforgiving conditions of the Sahara Desert mean that a broken down vehicle is often a death sentence for migrants. |
Niger serves as a transit point for West Africans hoping to reach Europe to start a better life. | Niger serves as a transit point for West Africans hoping to reach Europe to start a better life. |
Every year, tens of thousands of migrants cross the Sahara to reach Libya. From the Libyan coast they board rickety boats to ferry them to Europe. | Every year, tens of thousands of migrants cross the Sahara to reach Libya. From the Libyan coast they board rickety boats to ferry them to Europe. |
Many drown in the Mediterranean but, perhaps, less well known, are the dangers they face while crossing the Sahara. | Many drown in the Mediterranean but, perhaps, less well known, are the dangers they face while crossing the Sahara. |
It's not known how many deaths there are every year - as it's a vast, ungoverned region. But many migrants die of thirst, while others are robbed and attacked by criminal gangs and security forces. | It's not known how many deaths there are every year - as it's a vast, ungoverned region. But many migrants die of thirst, while others are robbed and attacked by criminal gangs and security forces. |
'My sister drowned getting to Europe' | 'My sister drowned getting to Europe' |