Stronger collaboration among humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding (HDP) actors is crucial for addressing the needs of over 6 million people affected by violent extremism, including displaced persons and refugees across Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria. 

Stabilizing the region, a collective and locally driven process

The governments of Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria — with support from regional actors, the donor community, and HDP partners — have made tangible progress in addressing the multidimensional crises in the Lake Chad Basin region. However, insecurity persists, with over 3.1 million displaced people. 

Since 2019, the multi-partner Regional Stabilization Facility has sought to address the root causes of violent extremism by enhancing security and improving access to social and economic opportunities essential for stability, peace, and resilience. The facility has contributed to the return or resettlement of 837,000 people in recently stabilized areas that were previously abandoned.

In September 2022, I saw firsthand how armed attacks and floods displaced over 6,500 individuals from Kassalare and Mague to Baltram in Chad’s Hadjer Lamis province. Many displaced people, mainly women and children, were sleeping outside, with minimal access to food, water, and essential services.

I witnessed the positive impacts of a coordinated response among HDP actors. The response’s strength was its collective nature and local leadership. Despite their lack of resources, local communities and Baltram authorities, supported by our stabilization efforts, were the first to provide food and other critical necessities. Local authorities, security chiefs, and traditional leaders provided land for immediate settlement and agricultural activities. 

To support these efforts, UNDP provided job opportunities through the Regional Stabilization Facility, installed solar lamps, delivered agricultural and fishing inputs, and carried out awareness-raising activities on human rights and civilian protection.  

Our stabilization approach invests in people and communities to cultivate comparative advantages that other actors can build on.  For example, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was particularly helpful in providing shelter, and the International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent offered psychosocial support and additional food assistance. The World Food Programme rolled out its school feeding programme in schools constructed through stabilization support.