The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has raised alarms about the worsening security situation in the Lake Chad Basin, which spans parts of Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria.Over 3.5 million people are forcibly displaced, with 8.2 million requiring humanitarian aid.Security incidents have surged by 80% between January 2024 and April 2026, resulting in nearly 1,800 attacks and over 5,700 fatalities.Borno State in Nigeria is the epicenter, where repeated attacks by non-state armed groups and military operations force families from their homes.The crisis has spread to the North-West and Middle Belt regions, with over 77,500 displaced since January 2026.

The UNHCR warns that violence crosses borders, fueling insecurity in Cameroon’s Far North and Chad’s Lac Province, where a state of emergency was declared.Civilians bear the brunt, with one in five households feeling unsafe and women/girls facing heightened risks.Over half of children in hardest-hit areas are out of school, and 27% now know violence survivors.The UNHCR urges $29 million to sustain operations and prevent a deeper regional crisis.