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Power cuts take toll on Niger as UN finds difficult to maintain medicines at low temperature

August 23, 2023

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(3 minutes read)

The U.N. is incurring over 20 times more expenses on fuel to keep generators on to keep millions of vaccines in Niger from spoiling due to incessant power cuts

The U.N. is incurring over 20 times more expenses on fuel to keep generators on to keep millions of vaccines in Niger from spoiling due to incessant power cuts.

Country representative for the United Nations Children’s Fund in Niger, Stefano Savi, said it has spent US$200,000 for powering generators to keep vaccines, including for polio and rotavirus, across the country cold during the first three weeks of August. That’s up from approximately US$10,000 a month previously and might soon run out of money, he said.

Niger relies on neighboring Nigeria for up to 90% of its power. But after soldiers ousted democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum in July, Nigeria cut off part of its electricity supply as part of sanctions imposed by the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS.

The sanctions are taking a toll on the population with the price of goods rising, residents unable to easily access cash, and people living in the dark. Now there are mounting concerns it will gravely impact the health system, particularly the ability to keep some 28 million vaccine doses in the country cold.

ECOWAS has struggled to stave off coups in the region – Mali and Burkina Faso have had two each since 2020 – and views Niger’s coup as one too many, imposing harsh sanctions and threatening military force if Bazoum isn’t reinstated. While the threat of force hasn’t materialized, Niger’s junta ignored a deadline to reinstate Bazoum and last week announced it would transition to civilian rule within three years.

The sanctions and the junta’s closing of the airspace have also prevented goods from coming into the country, threatening the resupply of medical equipment and food. UNICEF has some 50 containers with immunization, cold chain equipment, and therapeutic food stuck at different entry points unable to get into the country, said a statement from the group. The only open route by road is through neighboring Burkina Faso, which is dangerous because it’s riddled with militant groups.

In the meantime, approximately 300 trucks with food and other essential supplies crossed into Niger from Burkina Faso. It was escorted by a military convoy on both sides of the border. Still, it’s unclear how viable that route will be. Drivers who transported the goods say they were stuck for two months in Burkina Faso unable to cross into Niger because of the insecurity.