Summary of Humanitarian Needs
Context and Impact of the Crisis
Nigeria faces multiple crises, with a protracted conflict in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY) states, which has spread to neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and Niger, intercommunal clashes in the northwest that have led to over 40,000 people crossing the border with Niger for safety, and climate shocks such as drought and floods. Nigeria also hosts about 50,000 Cameroonian refugees in the west and faces a widespread farmers/herders crisis in its middle belt region.
According to the Global Risk Index INFORM,[1 ] Nigeria today is amongst the countries with the highest overall projected conflict risk index and increased risk in socio-economic vulnerability, inequality, and food insecurity in 2019. After more than ten years of conflict, the humanitarian crisis in the BAY states remains one of the most severe in the world today. A total of 7.9 million people – more than one in two people in the three crisis-affected states are in need of humanitarian assistance in 2020. The majority of the people in need are in Borno State, the epicenter of the crisis. One in four of the affected population is under 5 years of age. Women and children are the face of the crisis. Women and children constitute 81% of the overall crisis population and 87% of the new displacements. The gendered dimensions of displacement is having a significant impact on the status of women and girls especially within the context of mobility, fragmentation of households, demoralization and trauma.
The crisis is predominantly a protection crisis characterized by grave violations of human rights and dignity. Protection concerns including killings and maiming, sexual violence and abuse,arbitrary arrests and detention without access to justice and legal services, physical safety and security, forced recruitment, abductions forced marriages and forced displacement remain a major concern for the physical and mental wellbeing of IDPs, returnees and host communities in the BAY states. Since the start of the conflict in 2009, over 36,000 people have been killed in the BAY states – almost half of them civilians[ 2]. In 2019 alone, more than 473 civilians were killed and 327 were injured as a result of the ongoing military and hostile activities by NSAGs. The majority of those victims are males. Most of the killed/ injured civilians were due to attacks without distinction or by collateral damage. Some 22,000 people are still missing, which is the highest number of missing persons globally,[ 3] and 60 per cent of them are minors[4]. A total of 1,947 cases of recruitment and use of children by armed groups were reported in 2018. Sexual and gender-based violence is pervasive, with 99 per cent of reported cases being against women and girls[6].
The past year has been characterized by waves of displacements caused by insecurity, increased attacks by non-state armed groups (NSAGs) and military operations carried out in response. Over 160,000 people have fled violent attacks or pre-emptively[7], resulting in a significant increase in humanitarian needs and protection risks throughout 2019. Internally displaced persons face serious risks to their safety, well-being and basic rights. UNDSS data indicates that in 2019, there was a total of 23 attacks on IDP camps, all in Borno state. This resulted in 12 deaths, 23 injuries and 26 abductions as well as looting of property. The civilian character of the camps is being significantly compromised with military presence in a number of IDP camps, leading to increased reports of sexual exploitation and abuse and gender based violence. Meanwhile, IDP flight especially for those who flee inaccessible areas report being held for years in hostage-like situations by NSAGs with no access to basic services and suffering abuse. Once they are able to escape these conditions, they are often treated with suspicion and stigma, undermining their ability to reintegrate into society.
Over 1.8 million people are still internally displaced and in need of urgent assistance in BAY states[8]. Some 244,000 Nigerians have found refuge in neighbouring Chad, Cameroon and Niger[9]. Available information indicates 1.6 million people have returned to their areas of origin or nearby camps since August 2015, indicating that conditions in some locations have improved. However, in 2019, over 20,000 returnees moved back to camps or camp-like situations indicating that some locations are not conducive for returns and critical support will be essential for the sustainability of returns[10].
The food security situation in northeastern Nigeria significantly deteriorated in the course of 2019. Findings from the October 2019 Cadre Harmonise analysis indicate that 2.9 million people are food insecure (CH/IPC Phase 3 to 5) across the BAY States. This marks a 72 percent increase from October to December 2018 post-harvest period findings. In addition, around 3.8 million people in the BAY states are projected to be food insecure in June- August 2020 and considered to be facing crisis or emergency situations (CH Phase 3 or 4). The marked deterioration in food security is linked to the upsurge in insecurity as evident in renewed attacks by NSAGs, which have led to a new wave of displacements, and limited access to farming and grazing land essential for livelihood opportunities. This situation has stretched communal resources due to increased dependency from IDPs and returnees. The nutrition situation is also worrying, with 1.1 million children and women in need of immediate nutrition services. Global acute malnutrition (GAM) in children aged 6-59 months remains highly concerning. GAM rates increased from 6.7 per cent in 2017 to 11 per cent in 2019, exceeding the WHO threshold of 10 per cent. This is further exacerbated by weak health infrastructures, poor infant and young child feeding practices, limited access to safe water and sanitation services, poor hygiene conditions and food insecurity. Two-thirds of health facilities in the BAY states been damaged by the conflict – a clear indication of the impact of the crisis on the health system.
In 2019, access to people in need became even more difficult and constricted humanitarian space has meant the presence of humanitarian actors and provision of aid are now largely confined to major cities and towns. Four local government areas (LGAs) in Borno are completely inaccessible to the humanitarian community. Access to seven other LGAs is limited to the perimeters of one or two towns, reachable only by helicopter. Access to rural populations in Borno is limited to a few areas around Maiduguri, along some main roads, and LGAs to the south of the state. Across the three states, a total of 1.2 million people are inaccessible to humanitarian actors and cut off from much needed humanitarian assistance. Despite the access constraints, in 2019 humanitarian actors were able to reach 5.2 million people with lifesaving humanitarian assistance, an average of 4.4 million in the past five years.
The limited presence of civilian authority in the LGAs, due to insecurity and little incentive to return to crisis-affected areas, particularly in northern Borno State, remains a significant constraint on the State’s response in the provision of basic and secondary services in health, education, law enforcement, protection and access to justice. However, efforts by Borno state Government to facilitate rehabilitation of social services and the push for the return of civilian and traditional authorities in some LGAs as well as the inauguration of the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) in May 2019 and establishment of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development (FMHDS) in August 2019 are perceived as opportunities to enhance Government’s ownership and leadership of the humanitarian response in 2020.
Scope of Analysis
The Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) covers the three conflict affected states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. All segments of the population are affected by the conflict in one way or another, particularly in Borno State. 2019 witnessed increased conflict dynamics, with increased displacement and constricted access. The 2019 Multi-Sectoral Needs Assessments (MSNA)[11] was conducted in 59 LGAs in the three states except for five LGAs in Borno State and one in Yobe State, which were accessible at the time of data collection. The analysis of the severity of needs and calculations of people in need focused on three main eminent humanitarian consequences of the crisis: physical and mental well-being, living standards, and coping mechanisms. The crisis in the BAY states in northeastern Nigeria is mainly a protection crisis and protection related needs were prominently integrated within the analysis of these humanitarian consequences. Resilience and recovery needs were also considered.
Humanitarian Consequences
The impact of the conflict continues to significantly affect the physical and mental well-being, living standards, and capacity for resilience and recovery of 7.9 million people in the BAY states. The protracted crisis is characterized by growing insecurity that continues to hamper the safety and security of humanitarian workers and the ability of affected populations to access basic services, sources of livelihoods, and land for farming and grazing. This is compounded by the dangers posed by mines and explosive remnants of war in many of the LGAs, which will take years to be cleared.
About 4.7 million people, representing more than half of all people in need of humanitarian assistance in BAY sates, have acute humanitarian needs. Over the past years, internally displaced persons, including those in and out of camps and camp-like settings, returnees, as well as host communities, experienced a further deterioration of their well-being. Millions were exposed to physical and mental harm resulting in loss of dignity, including irreversible damage and injury. Constant exposure to high-stress due to multiple displacements for hundreds of thousands, difficult living conditions and heightened mortality and morbidity, especially for those in congested camps and informal settlements, are amongst the humanitarian consequences of the crisis and its protracted nature. Hunger and malnutrition remain at dangerously high levels. Grave violations of human rights and pervasive sexual and gender-based violence are also taking their toll on the mental health of affected people, especially women and children in the BAY states.
About 5.4 million people in need are in conditions leaning toward the collapse of living standards, with disrupted access to essential goods and services, high dependence on humanitarian assistance, and often relying on negative coping mechanisms with the threat of irreversible harm. This include the sale of livelihood assets or being forced to resort to offering sex for food. Hundreds of thousands of displaced families lack permanent shelters and appropriate sanitation. Borno State, in particular, is littered with landmines and other explosive hazards (new and old), exposing civilians to daily risks in the search of sources of livelihoods.
Besides the impact of the conflict, frequent climate shocks such as torrential rains and floods increase the vulnerability of those living in communities or LGAs in flood-prone areas. Between August and October 2019, over 200,000 people were affected by torrential rains and flash floods in the BAY states. The risk of disease outbreaks also remains prominent in most conflict-affected areas, especially where routine vaccinations have been interrupted for several years.
The conflict has eroded coping mechanisms and resilience to shocks such as forced displacement, diseases, and floods of up to 2.2 million people. Lack of basic services is one of the main drivers of need and one of the main obstacles for people to begin recovering from years of conflict and violence. A large proportion of the population have limited resources or capacity to support their recovery, perpetuating a cycle of aid dependency.
In many of the conflicts affected LGAs the lack of functional social and economic infrastructure and absence of civil authority in Borno State in particular remains a significant constraint on the restoration of basic services. The years of conflict and protracted displacement have eroded fabrics of social cohesion and social safety nets. The prolonged displacement has also put pressure on natural resources.
One in four conflict-affected households in the BAY states have no access to economic opportunities as a result of the destruction of social and economic infrastructure and private enterprises. Market functionality in the conflict affected states remains below pre-crisis levels due to insecurity, movement restrictions, and transport costs.
Returnees lack economic and livelihood opportunities to re-establish their lives in their areas of origin, and this is contributing to an emerging pattern in secondary displacement.
Severity of Needs
Borno State continues to be the epicenter of the conflict and has experienced a rise in NSAG-military clashes in recent months. The most severe and acute humanitarian needs remain concentrated in areas affected by conflict and locations hosting large numbers of internally displaced people and returnees. These include almost all LGAs of Borno State, including its capital Maiduguri and adjacent Jere LGA, and Damaturu, Fune, Gujba and Gulani, in Yobe State, and Girei and Madagali in Adamawa State, which host most of the people with acute needs.
In July 2019, the Nigerian Armed Forces announced a change in strategy, withdrawing troops from more remote locations across Borno State and gathering them around ‘super camps’ established in major towns across the State. Following the troops’ consolidation, NSAGs intensified attacks in Gubio, Nganzai and Konduga LGAs. Other LGAs such as Magumeri, Bama, Gwoza, Dikwa and Ngala experienced constant clashes between the military and NSAGs. Between July and August 2019, Gujuba and Gulani LGAs in Yobe State were attacked with the armed groups targeting the Yobe State capital Damaturu towards the end of the year as the number of security incidents and illegal checkpoints by NSAGs increased along the main road axes. The Maiduguri-Damaturu road – which remained the only physical link to the rest of Nigeria – has seen a surge in insecurity and informal checkpoints. This has reduced the use of the road by many humanitarian agencies. There has also been a reduction of humanitarian presence and response in the areas along the Maiduguri-Monguno and Maiduguri-Damasak axes in Borno State, with some organizations shutting down several offices along these roads.
Multi-sectoral needs assessments showed clearly that these areas have been profoundly affected by conflict and displacement, not only adding pressure on existing meagre resources and limited basic services but also stretching the capacity of aid agencies for an effective response.
In Adamawa State, although security in Michika and Madagali LGAs remained unstable, the situation in other areas stabilised. This presents an opportunity for early recovery and development programming in support of Government efforts. It will, however, bring new challenges, as returnees formerly associated with NSAGs face stigmatization and abuse upon attempted reintegration, particularly women and descendants of NSAGs operatives.
People in Need
Across the three crisis-affected BAY states, 7.9 million people out of a total of 13 million – more than one in two people – will need humanitarian assistance in 2020. This 11 per cent increase from 7.1 million people in need of some form of assistance in 2019 resulting mainly from rising violence and insecurity. Over 80 per cent of IDPs are in Borno State, the epicenter of the crisis. One in four internally displaced people are under five, and 79 per cent are women and children. Over 60 per cent of IDPs are living in host communities[12], making it harder to access them with assistance and putting additional pressure on the already stretched resources of these communities. In total, over 75 per cent of people living in Borno State are in need of humanitarian assistance in 2020.
Some 1.6 million people have returned to their areas of origin since August 2015, indicating that conditions in some locations have improved, though critical support is needed for the sustainability of these returns as many of them have found themselves without the necessary resources to resume their livelihoods.
Humanitarian organisations are not able to meet all needs in the BAY states, and it is estimated that more than 1.2 million people in including 971,000 in Borno State and 244,000 in Yobe State are in areas that are inaccessible to international humanitarian organisations. In addition, some 244,000 Nigerian refugees are expected to remain in neighbouring countries and will be supported outside of this appeal.
Disclaimer
- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
- To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.