Northern Nigeria’s conflict with Boko Haram spilled over to the Lake Chad Basin region, where Nigerian refugees are hosted since 2014, causing large scale forced displacement and an unprecedented humanitarian emergency in Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

The Central Sahel region (Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger) is facing a severe humanitarian and protection crisis, pushing millions of people to flee their homes. Indiscriminate attacks by armed groups against civilians, summary executions of men, widespread use of rape against women, as well as attacks on State institutions, including schools and health facilities, are the latest drivers of displacement impacting a region already struggling with climate change, extreme poverty, a lack of economic opportunities and scarce basic services.

With ongoing crises in the Central African Republic (CAR), Mali, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as well as increased insecurity in Burkina Faso, approximately 14 million people are internally displaced across the region. In this challenging context, UNHCR will assume its leadership role across the three clusters, provide direct assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs), ensure that protection remains at the center of the multi-stakeholder humanitarian response, and work towards solutions in coordination with all partners, including key development actors. “The West and Central Africa region faces multiple humanitarian and development challenges. However, this has not prevented its governments and people from showing solidarity with over 21 million asylum seekers, refugees, and internally displaced persons. To ensure sustainability, this solidarity needs to be supported by adequate funding,” said Mr. Abdouraouf Gnon Konde, Regional Bureau Director.