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  • Niger
Women and small children standing by leafless tree on dusty plain.

Niger

Over 90% of the population lack access to a simple toilet. This has a huge impact on health and infant mortality.

people in Niger don't have access to safe water. This is half of the population.

Nearly 14 million people don't have access to adequate sanitation in Niger, nearly all of the population.

12,000 children die every year from diarrhoea caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation in Niger.

Niger is the largest country in West Africa but also one of the least developed. Much of it is desert and over half the population lacks safe water.

The crisis

In the rural lowlands and the mountains, the distance to water sources is great and water supplies are often polluted with naturally occurring arsenic. Open defecation also spreads diseases across living environments.

In urban areas, the water supply cannot keep up with growing demand – natural sources are drying up and water levels are becoming dangerously low.

A decade of internal conflict has left 100,000 people homeless, often making the political situation difficult.

Our approach

To address the dry climate and lack of services, WaterAid's work in Niger focuses on water security. We aim to ensure that the poorest people have enough water for their basic daily needs all year round.

We work closely with local governments, supporting them to develop plans to improve water, sanitation and hygiene services in their areas. This is more likely to lead to effective, lasting improvements.

We also engage with communities, through local partners, to understand their needs. Involving communities in the design and management of water points and toilets helps ensure they are sustainable.