Africa crisis

Nigeria and Lake Chad Basin

The situation

Over seven years of violence in Northern Nigeria has caused untold suffering and a desperate humanitarian crisis, due to the emergence of the group Boko Haram and military operations against it. This has now spread into Niger, Chad and Cameroon – the area known as the Lake Chad Basin.

Taking place in one of the poorest and most vulnerable parts of the world, it has resulted in Africa’s fastest growing displacement crisis, with over 2.6 million people forced to leave their homes to flee violence and in need of urgent help.

Food shortages and malnutrition have reached alarming levels, especially in children and 11 million people are in need of immediate life-saving assistance

The violence leaves men, women and children no other choice than to flee for their lives. The number of displaced people has tripled in the past two years, and continues to grow. Vital infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, roads, markets and farmland has been destroyed or severely damaged, preventing people from accessing essential services.

They are in urgent need of food, water, and medical care. They are living in camps for displaced people and among host communities and are struggling to survive.

Oxfam’s work

Oxfam teams are providing life-saving support in Nigeria, Niger and Chad to people who have fled their home and to the communities in which they are taking shelter. We are providing people with life saving essentials including:

Emergency food and nutrition support, as well as essentials such as cooking equipment and buckets
Improved sanitation through the construction of bathing facilities and repair of toilets, to prevent the spread of disease
Access to clean drinking water
Seeds and tools to help rebuild communities
Protection support to women who have suffered from sexual violence and exploitation