UNHCR Warns of Escalating Lake Chad Crisis and Displacement

The UNHCR has raised alarms regarding the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Lake Chad Basin, which includes parts of Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria. According to Andrew Wyllie, the UNHCR Deputy Director for the West and Central Africa Bureau, approximately 3.5 million people are currently forcibly displaced across the basin, with 8.2 million in need of humanitarian assistance.

Security incidents have surged by 80% from January 2024 to April 2026, with nearly 1,800 incidents recorded, resulting in 5,700 fatalities, including attacks on civilians. Borno State in northeastern Nigeria is identified as the epicenter of the crisis, where non-state armed groups have intensified their operations.

The UNHCR reported that as of January 2026, 77,500 people were displaced across four countries, including 16,000 refugees fleeing attacks in northeastern Nigeria. The agency warns that humanitarian operations are struggling to meet the growing needs, emphasizing the urgent requirement for $29 million by December 2026 to sustain operations and protect vulnerable populations.