UNHCR Seeks $2 Million as Nigeria Violence Drives Cross-Border Displacement

The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR has appealed for $2 million to assist people who fled violence and insecurity in Nigeria for neighbouring Niger and Benin, along with tens of thousands still in Nigeria.

UNHCR said more than 66,000 people had crossed Nigeria’s borders into the two countries by mid-October. That figure was three times higher than the number recorded during the same period the previous year, according to the agency.

Unregistered people face access difficulties

Eujin Byun, a UNHCR spokesperson in Geneva, said 34,000 people had not yet registered. The lack of registration is complicating efforts to reach them with assistance.

Byun described the unregistered population as “leaving them at heightened risk and struggling to access essential assistance.”

The agency’s appeal is intended to support both people who have crossed into Niger and Benin and those still affected by insecurity inside Nigeria. UNHCR has not provided a breakdown of how the requested funds would be divided between the groups.

Violence spreads across the region

Northern Nigeria is facing a combination of rising religious intolerance, jihadist violence and attacks by criminal bandit gangs. Clashes between farmers and herders are also contributing to insecurity in the region.

Jihadist violence from northern Nigeria has spread across borders into Niger, Chad and Cameroon. A regional military coalition is fighting the militant groups, although the supplied information does not identify the coalition or the specific groups involved.

The latest displacement figures reflect a sharp increase in people leaving Nigeria for Niger and Benin compared with the same period the previous year. UNHCR is seeking additional funding as it works to assist those who have crossed the borders and people who remain in areas affected by violence.