Lake Chad Forgotten Crisis
Down To Earth|February 01, 2017

Ecological degradation in the Chad Basin has triggered Africa's latest humanitarian crisis. It's time, the basin countries looked beyond the excuse of insurgency.

Kundan Pandey
Lake Chad Forgotten Crisis

LAST YEAR when Nigeria declared a nutrition emergency in Borno, indicating acute food insecurity in the state, and said the region stands to lose 80 children every day, it caught the world's attention. More than a dozen humanitarian organisations working in West Africa issued a joint statement, saying the ongoing conflict with the jihadist militant group Boko Haram has pushed the number of people facing severe hunger in the region to more than 6 million. In January this year, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O’Brien informed the Security Council: “The humanitarian crisis across northeast Nigeria and parts of Cameroon, Chad and Niger, triggered by the horrendous, violent and inhuman campaign of Boko Haram, is deepening.” The UN has since revised its appeal and called for more funds for lifesaving humanitarian assistance in the region, also known as the Chad Basin. International organisations have also scaled up their response to ensure food security, reduce malnutrition and provide shelter to refugees and internally displaced people in the region.

While almost all the discussions seem to revolve around the immediate crisis, the humanitarian emergency unfolding in the basin has actually been in the making for decades. ªThe recent civil, armed conflict and related security threats only significantly exacerbate the pre-existing regional food insecurity and nutrition problems,” states a World Food Programme (WFP) report, released in 2016. ªWhile the security threats are undeniable aspects of the crisis, recent media and reports (SIC) on the alarming regional emergency situation attributing the crisis to Boko Haram activities, risk grossly oversimplifying the complicated interrelated socio-ecological issues at hand leading up to insurgency in the basin,” it says.

A protracted crisis

This story is from the February 01, 2017 edition of Down To Earth.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the February 01, 2017 edition of Down To Earth.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM DOWN TO EARTHView All
International Women's Day Special SHE
Down To Earth

International Women's Day Special SHE

In India, women self-help groups have been a source of empowerment, fostering economic independence, social stature and community resilience.

time-read
10 mins  |
March 01, 2024
MODERATELY YOURS
Down To Earth

MODERATELY YOURS

The crunchy, slightly sweet tubers of shankhalu can be a healthy addition to one's diet

time-read
3 mins  |
March 01, 2024
TROUBLED TEAK
Down To Earth

TROUBLED TEAK

Farmers need to be sensitised about right planting materials and cultivation techniques to benefit from high-value teak plantations

time-read
6 mins  |
March 01, 2024
Follow the Chinese way on high tech
Down To Earth

Follow the Chinese way on high tech

Making universities the hub of innovation and churning out scientists adept in frontier technology has put China at the top

time-read
4 mins  |
March 01, 2024
Stronger resolve
Down To Earth

Stronger resolve

In the face of climate change, countries make a slew of commitments to ensure conservation of migratory species

time-read
2 mins  |
March 01, 2024
MIND YOUR THOUGHTS
Down To Earth

MIND YOUR THOUGHTS

Technologies with potential to read one’s thoughts have grown tremendously in recent years driven largely by artificial intelligence, a develooment that raises ethical and privacy issues

time-read
5 mins  |
March 01, 2024
Winter Without Snow
Down To Earth

Winter Without Snow

Record-low snowfall in the Himalayas is evidence that climate change is speeding up

time-read
3 mins  |
February 16, 2024
UNDERRATED GREEN
Down To Earth

UNDERRATED GREEN

Kohlrabi is a healthy but little used member of the cabbage family

time-read
3 mins  |
February 16, 2024
Historical hindsight
Down To Earth

Historical hindsight

An encyclopaedic work capturing the breathless changes in Assam’s recent history as well as its struggle for identity and modernity

time-read
6 mins  |
February 16, 2024
Making jugaad a global success
Down To Earth

Making jugaad a global success

Frugal innovation is the new concept that companies are adopting to take technology to developing countries

time-read
4 mins  |
February 16, 2024