Lake Chad’s Unseen Crisis: Voices of refugees and internally displaced people from Niger and Nigeria

Overview

Since 2009, millions of people in the Lake Chad Basin have been affected by a conflict originating in Nigeria. Over 2.6 million people have been displaced by the violent acts of a group popularly known as Boko Haram, and the military operation that has followed. Far from abating, the conflict has intensified and spilled over into neighbouring countries. Some 9.2 million people are now in immediate need of humanitarian assistance across Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon. Although this is Africa’s fastest growing displacement crisis, the humanitarian impact has received scant international attention.

This paper aims to give voice to people affected by the conflict. It calls for donors and the governments of the affected countries to do much more to provide help to people in need, as well as guarantee their safety, uphold their rights and allow immediate humanitarian access to areas that are currently receiving little to no assistance.