Attachments
By 27 May 2023, 2,530 Cameroonian asylumseekers who were displaced to Mubi South and Mubi North LGAs in Adamawa State due to attacks by Non-State Armed Groups (NSAGs) in Cameroon had been registered, with individual biometrics taken.
In May, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) finalised the construction of 452 shelters, a communal centre, market stalls, classrooms and renovated a health post at the Labondo Durable Solutions Project in Adamawa State.
In collaboration with its partners, UNHCR reached over 21,260 Internally Displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, and host community members in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) States following visits to 563 active protection monitoring sites
Operational Highlights
■ On 29 May, Nigeria transitioned into a new government at the federal and state level following the conclusion of elections that took place in February and March this year. In the BAY States, the incumbent governors took the oath of office to continue their second tenure, having successfully been re-elected.
■ During the month, the Special Adviser on Solutions to Internal Displacement for the UN Secretary-General visited Nigeria's Borno and Adamawa States. He witnessed several durable solution initiatives being implemented in the country’s north east by the United Nations under the leadership of the Government. As part of his visit, he travelled to Girei Local Government Area to see the UNHCR-supported Labondo Local Integration Pilot Project. He also engaged with communities in Banki, the site of voluntary return for over 4,000 former Nigerian refugees since March 2021, facilitated by a Tripartite agreement between UNHCR and the governments of Nigeria and Cameroon.
■ In May 2023, security forces launched “Operation Desert Sanity II” to counter attacks by Non-State Armed Groups, especially in the BAY States. Besides weakening the capacity of the NSAGs to launch large-scale attacks on civilian targets successfully, many people associated with the fighters continued to surrender to government forces. However, NSAGs still launched predatory attacks on villages located on the fringes of Sambisa Forest, Mandara mountains, Lake Chad, and other enclaves.
■ In May, over 510 civilians, including forcibly displaced persons, were affected by 61 different safety and security incidents in the BAY States. The incidents included armed attacks, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), abductions, illegal vehicle checkpoints, crime, civil unrest, and hazards. Also, windstorms damaged many UNHCR shelters, affecting more than 480 people, with Borno State recording the highest number of incidents and Yobe the least.
■ UNHCR and its partners joined other humanitarian and development actors in celebrating International Children’s Day. During the event in Maiduguri, school funfairs and educational activities were organised for IDPs, refugee returnees, and host community members.