Bazoum Mohamed, Nigerien Foreign Affairs Minister, said at the parliament that thousands of residents of Bosso and Diffa had fled from their homes after five days of deadly attacks carried out by the Boko Haram insurgents.
He said on Wednesday in Niamey that since Friday last week, the two towns had come under heavy attacks from Boko Haram which was operating from its bases in neighboring Nigeria.
Mohamed said thousands of residents kept fleeing in buses, motorcycles and even on foot.
The minister said the situation was worsening in Diffa where residents were fleeing due to fears of more Boko Haram attacks.
He said the people were literally exposed at the moment in extremely deplorable conditions, along roads that were far from being secure and houses that cannot guarantee their safety.
One of the residents said more than 85 per cent of Diffa residents had fled the region and were heading to neighboring towns of Maine-Soroa and Zinder.
He said both public and private services had been shut and activities had come to a standstill.
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Karidjo Mahamadou, has termed the prevailing conditions in Diffa as “very serious and so dramatic”.
He said all measures were being taken in collaboration with the army and humanitarian organisations to secure the population and ensure they get basic needs such as food and shelter.