Looks like the school trip's off

It appears my plan to head up to a charity which runs a school for the children of the Touareg nomads may be off. The idea was that I would this charity, help out the visiting doctor, and do a health survey of the local population. Interesting, proper full-on rural medicine, and really useful to do.

The downside? It's right up on the border with Algeria/Mali, and it has been on the FCO list advising against "all but essential travel" for ages. Happily, the info on the relevant bit of Niger changed a couple of days ago, to:

We advise against all travel to the Aïr Massif region and on the road linking Assamaka, Arlit and Agadez. Armed groups are operating in the North and are known to be using land mines. Extreme caution should be exercised when travelling to the following areas: the Ténéré and Kaouar regions; the Azawagh area, particularly the area between the Malian and Algerian borders and the towns of Tahoua and Ingall; the east of the Aïr Massif.

Advice I can take with a pinch of salt; landmines less so. Oh well.