In Africa’s Lake Chad Basin, Boko Haram violence has led hundreds of thousands to flee their homes. In the Diffa Region of southeast Niger, this has put significant strain on already fragile government systems and led to a state of emergency as the government and local municipalities attempt to stretch their already scant resources to cope with an influx of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) amid the turmoil.

Mothers and their small children wait in the shade of a tree outside the Toumour Hospital for their appointments. A shortage of staff has reduced available services and quality of care.

Diffa’s health system has been hit particularly hard. Of the seven hospitals in the region, only three remain operational today due to the state of emergency and a lack of health providers willing to work in this dangerous and difficult environment.

The small hospital in Toumour is currently treating more than triple the number of patients it was designed for. Here, women line up outside the facility to be seen.

One of the remaining health facilities is located in the strategically important town of Toumour. This small three-room hospital was designed to treat 14,000 patients a year, but is now seeing approximately 50,000 patients annually and conducting an average of 13 births a week with only two nurses on staff. Through meetings with hospital staff and local leaders, the US Army civil affairs team working in the area determined that additional hospital staff was a critical need. Meeting this need would be the best way to improve community health, address local humanitarian issues, and counter Boko Haram’s influence and narrative.

A hand-drawn map of the town found inside the hospital shows the other facilities in the area, most of which have been closed due to a lack of staff and security.

In response to this urgent need, Spirit of America will provide a monthly salary for an additional nurse to staff the Toumour hospital. This nurse, supported by local security forces, will allow the clinic to treat significantly more patients and demonstrate the commitment of the Government of Niger to a vulnerable community.

With your support, the US Army and their Nigerien partners can provide an additional nurse to this hospital, meeting a critical local need and improving health for the residents and refugees living in this community.