The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has warned that worsening insecurity and growing displacement across the Lake Chad Basin are pushing the region towards a dangerous tipping point.
Speaking at a press briefing in Geneva on Friday, UNHCR Deputy Director for the West and Central Africa Bureau, Andrew Wyllie, said the humanitarian situation had deteriorated significantly across Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria.
According to the agency, more than 3.5 million people are currently displaced across the basin, while 8.2 million require humanitarian assistance.
UNHCR said security incidents increased by 80 per cent between January 2024 and April 2026.
The agency disclosed that nearly 1,800 security incidents and more than 5,700 fatalities were recorded between September 2025 and May 2026, including attacks on civilians, kidnappings, village raids, clashes between armed groups and explosions.
UNHCR identified Borno State in northeastern Nigeria as the epicentre of the crisis, noting that repeated attacks by non-state armed groups, military operations and insecurity along roads continue to force families from their homes.
It also warned that insecurity is increasingly affecting parts of northwestern Nigeria and the Middle Belt.
Since January 2026, more than 77,500 people have been displaced across the four countries, including over 16,000 refugees who fled northeastern Nigeria to Niger’s Diffa region.
Violence is also increasingly spilling across borders, with attacks in one country triggering displacement in neighbouring states.
The agency said persistent insecurity continues to affect Cameroon’s Far North region, while military operations and attacks in Chad’s Lac Province have displaced about 60,000 people and prompted authorities to declare a state of emergency.
UNHCR expressed concern over worsening protection risks, noting that one in five households surveyed no longer feels safe in its own community.
Women and girls face growing threats of violence, while support services remain overstretched.
Children have also been severely affected, with nearly half of those living in the hardest-hit areas out of school. In Chad’s Lac Province, the figure exceeds 78 per cent.
The agency further reported that one in four respondents said separated or unaccompanied children were present in their communities.
Wyllie commended governments in the region for keeping borders open to people fleeing violence and supporting displaced populations.
“UNHCR is working with them across all four countries to assist people fleeing violence, monitor risks, support new arrivals and ensure families can access documentation, assistance and pathways to recovery,” he said.
The agency warned that humanitarian efforts are under increasing pressure and said UNHCR and its partners require $29 million through December 2026 to sustain operations.
“Without timely and flexible support, protection gaps will widen, displacement will continue to spread across borders, and the risk of a more entrenched regional crisis will increase,” Wyllie cautioned.
