Summary. Definition of Key Term. Background Information. Committee: Special Political 2. Conflict in Lake Chad Region. Alexandra Rogozina

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1 Committee: Special Political 2 Topic: Chair: School: Conflict in Lake Chad Region Alexandra Rogozina International School of Helsinki Summary Approximately 17 million people live in the areas affected by the violent conflict between non-state armed groups and military forces in the Lake Chad Region, which has spread across nations such as Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria. Around 2.3 million people remain displaced today after having been forced from their homes. Over the past 60 years, the lakes size has decreased by 90% as a result of overuse of water, extended drought and the impact of climate change. The surface area of the lake has decreased from 26,000 square km in 1963 to less than 1,500 square km today. This reduction has been called an ecological disaster, has not only affected the livelihoods, but also led to the loss of invaluable biodiversity. The impact of the drying lake is causing tensions among communities along the basin including Cameroonians and Nigerians in Darak village, constantly fight over water. Definition of Key Term Biodiversity- The genetic variety and health of species present in an ecosystem, high levels of which are usually desirable Boko Haram- Islamist State in West Africa Background Information Overview Conflicts The conflict began in Nigeria in 2009 and resulted in a severe crisis in the northeast of the country, generating a vast demand for lifesaving support. 8.5 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, 5.2 million in need of life saving food assistance, and 1.9 million have been forced from their Research Report Page 1 of 6

2 homes. Different forms of violence, including suicide bombings in IDP camps, are spreading across the country. Boko Haram In the recent years, the aforementioned environmental degradation has been complicated by the Boko Haram insurgency, which began in As of January 2018, more than 2.3 million people have been displaced by the conflict. At least 130 attacks are attributed o the Islamic militants in the Lake Chad Basin. Overall, the boko haram have killed over 20,000 civilians over the past 8 years in order to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria Dispute Nigerians claim to be the first settlers in the village, while Cameroonians invoke nationalistic sentiments, since the village is within Cameroonian territory. Furthermore fishermen are demanding that farmers and herdsmen to cease diverting lake water to their farmlands and livestock. The United Nations is worried that such conflicts over resources are giving rise to more instability through interstate crime. Major Countries and Organizations Involved World Health Organisation (WHO) ( ) Cameroon Cross-border raids, suicide bombing and heightened insecurity have caused massive displacements and deprivation of communities in the far north region. The number of IDPs have readed over 200,000 in october This in hand increase the demand of humanitarian needs for IDPs and host communiites, who were also vulnerable before the crisis. Objective 1: Ensure access to essential health care for 1.2 million people by supporting 70 health facilities with 140 additional staff, delivering 100 Interagency Emergency Health Kits and providing comprehensive immunization for children under 5 and pregnant women. Objective 2: Procure essential commodities for safe delivery and distribute 5000 dignity kits for pregnant women. Objective 3: Implement a comprehensive package for HIV/AIDS services for pregnant women and their children and IDPs and host communities. Chad Insecurity persists along Chad s western Lac region. The resulting population displacement has accentuated the vulnerability of both those forced to flee the violence and the communities hosting Page 2 of 6 Research Report

3 them, many of who already require assistance. The influx of displaced people is putting pressure on the resources. To reduce the risk of disease, particularly cholera, measles and polio it is critical to: Objective 1: Strengthen epidemiological surveillance and outreach to displaced persons. Objective 2: Improve access to primary health care for people from both displaced and host communities through access to medicines (for malaria, yellow fever), mobile clinics and support to health centres. Niger Recurrent attacks by Boko Haram have resulted in the displacement of more than people (IDPs, refugees and returnees) in south-east Niger. Some have been forced to flee multiple times. Already limited basic services and resources are overstretched in a region where communities have long grappled with food insecurity, malnutrition and cyclic droughts and floods. Objective 1: Increase access to health services through mobile clinics, free medical consultations and prepositioning of contingency medical supplies. Objective 2: Establish an early warning system to respond to potential disease outbreaks. Objective 3: Ensure vaccinations of at least children not covered under routine immunization campaigns. Objective 4: Set up emergency response mechanisms to ensure response to sexual and gender-based violence as well as sexually transmitted diseases, and reinforce mental health services and psychological support to people affected by trauma. Nigeria The long-running Boko Haram-linked conflict has devastated communities of north-eastern Nigeria, compounding the poverty and underdevelopment in the area. More than 8 million people across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States require humanitarian assistance. Food insecurity in the three states has almost doubled and almost 2 million people have been displaced. Objective 1: Provide assistance to 5.9 million people, including 1.7 million IDPs and 4.2 million people in host communities, through services for reproductive health, maternal and child health, gender-based violence and the management of malnutrition and non-communicable diseases. Objective 2: Establish, expand and strengthen communicable disease surveillance and outbreak prevention, control and response. Objective 3: Strengthen coordination and health system restoration to improve life-saving response for people in need. Research Report Page 3 of 6

4 Timeline of Events 2009 The beginning of the crisis, violence caused by Boko Haram in Nigeria, resulted in high numbers of displacements, malnutrition and hunger. April ,000 children have been displaced due to the conflict June 2016 Abuja Action Statement on civilian protection in Lake Chad Basin is endorsed August 2016 Emergence of polio in Nigeria, resulting in a Regional Health Emergency March 2017 The signing of the Tripartite agreement by Nigeria, Cameroon, UNHCR on refugee returns June 2017 Civilians who have been hit by the conflict are at risk of famine in northeast Nigeria December 2017 At least 135 children have been used as suicide bombers. Page 4 of 6 Research Report

5 Relevant UN Treaties and Events - Fort Lamy May 22, The tripartite Agreement Between UNHCR, Nigeria and Cameroon Trans boundary Watercourse Convention (dispute resolution among riparian states) Previous Attempts to solve the Issue Oslo humanitarian conference for Nigeria and the Lake Chad region (February 24th 2017) UNDP- carries plan on/are carrying out development projects which focus on the management of natural resources and the rehabilitation of Lake Chad ecosystems France- supports the solution of reforestation as part of the commitments made at the COP 21 and COP 22 climate conferences. Ministry of Ecology- signed a US$1,7 million partnership agreement with UNDP to focus on restoring vegetation cover around the lake and also to support women s economic initiatives and help adapt agricultural practices to climate change. Paris-based UNESCO has launched a new $6.5-million (5.3-million-euro) research and conservation programme involving Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, as well as the CAR. Italy- has proposed the Transaqua solution which has been proposed by an engineering and consulting firm Bonifica, in partnership with the Power Construction Corporation of China (PowerChina) Possible Solutions 1. Education of the inhabitants in the area 2. Stop funding the terrorist groups in the area 3. Have political talks between the countries involved in the conflict to avoid the tragedy of the commons. 4. Scale-up the food and Nutrition response in Nigeria and the Region 5. Improve Humanitarian Coordination 6. Build ecological resilience in the region Research Report Page 5 of 6

6 Bibliography Afp. Italy, China Propose Solution to Lake Chad's Water Problem. Daily Mail Online, Associated Newspapers, 28 Feb. 2018, Bseitter. Humanitarian Crisis in Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin. CARE, 29 Mar. 2018, Byanyima, Winnie. Lake Chad Basin: World's Most Neglected Crisis Rages On. Israeli Palestinian Conflict Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 23 Feb. 2017, How to Stop the Decline of Lake Chad? ReliefWeb, reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/how-stop-decline-lakechad. Lake Chad Basin Humanitarian Response Plan World Health Organization, World Health Organization, 4 May 2017, Obafemi, Ahmed. Central Africa: Fights Over Water Worsening Lake Chad Conflict. AllAfrica.com, 20 Sept. 2017, allafrica.com/stories/ html. Oslo Humanitarian Conference for Nigeria and the Lake Chad Region Raises $672 Million to Help People in Need. ReliefWeb, reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/oslo-humanitarian-conference-nigeria-andlake-chad-region-raises-672-million-help. Sow, Mariama. Figure of the Week: The Shrinking Lake Chad. Brookings, Brookings, 26 May 2017, The Tale of a Disappearing Lake. ReliefWeb, reliefweb.int/report/chad/tale-disappearing-lake. Page 6 of 6 Research Report