( CNN ) -- The government in Niger has declared three days of national mourning for 92 migrants who died from dehydration after their vehicles broke down in the Sahara desert , state media said Friday . The government was `` profoundly moved by the catastrophe '' and `` presented its condolences to the victims ' families , '' state-run newspaper Le Sahel reported . The victims , almost all of them women and children , had been trying to reach Algeria , Azaoua Mahaman of the Synergie nongovernmental organization said Thursday . Instead , after being stranded in the country 's northern desert , they died of thirst . When found , many of the bodies were severely decomposed and appeared to have been partially eaten by animals . The travelers were hoping to find a better life for themselves in Algeria , trying to escape the extreme poverty and economic hardships in Niger , Mahaman said . The country of about 16 million is one of the poorest in the world and lies second from bottom in the U.N. 's Human Development Index . Hardship and the lack of opportunity prompt many to leave . Niger 's desert north has become a major transit area for migrants , according to the International Organization for Migration , and many people smugglers operate there . Algeria and Libya are the final destinations for some travelers , while others seek to reach Europe , said Laura Lungarotti , migrant assistance regional specialist in the organization 's west and central Africa office in Senegal . Most are from Niger , although others also come from central and western Africa . Once they embark on their journeys , they face `` extremely dry and difficult conditions , '' she said . Those who get stranded in the desert face a challenge to survive . Part of the problem is that many would-be migrants are stopped by Algerian or Libyan authorities and are expelled back over the border into Niger 's desert , Lungarotti said . Some of those kicked out are transported directly to two transit centers run by the International Organization for Migration : outposts in the desert where the migrants can receive food , water and first aid . Others manage to make their own way there . Despite the dangers , the migrants ' numbers have been increasing since the beginning of this year , Lungarotti said . Over the past 10 months , more than 15,000 from Niger and 1,300 from other countries have reached the two transit centers : one in Arlit , closer to Algeria , and the other in Dirkou , nearer to the Libyan border . It 's unusual for so many migrants to be women and children , Lungarotti said of the latest deaths . A recent study by the migrant organization found that the majority of migrants are men , although there are growing numbers of unaccompanied minors , she said . CNN 's Pierre Meilhan contributed to this report .
Migrants died of dehydration while crossing the Sahara . The government was `` profoundly moved by the catastrophe , '' Le Sahel reports . The victims , almost all women and children , died after their vehicles broke down . They hoped to enter Algeria , a nongovernmental organization says .