INTRODUCTION
Violence in North-East Nigeria continues to escalate; in early 2015 insurgents carried out deadly armed attacks in the states of Bauchi, Gombe, Kano and Taraba resulting in territorial gains.
As a result of the violence more than 192,000 people have fled the country, and are currently seeking safety and protection in neighboring Cameroon, Chad and Niger. These countries have also been directly affected by the on-going violence, with cross-border attacks by armed groups leading to internal displacement in both Northern Cameroon and the Diffa Region of Niger. In response, Chad, Cameroon and Niger, members of The Lake Chad Basin Commission, have engaged their armed forces in the fight against insurgency.
The recent peaceful election of General Mohammadu Buhari as President of Nigeria, will also likely impact on the overall security situation in the North in the coming months.General Buhari emphasized his commitment to defeating insurgents on the day he was announced winner of the presidential elections. It is possible that military action to reclaim territory could result in further displacement, or equally that increased security in the North leads to spontaneous return. Nevertheless, Insurgent attacks and military counter attacks are expected to continue over the coming months and as a result UNHCR and its partners are preparing for further displacement both within and outside of Nigeria.
This second Nigeria Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRRP) is integral to this preparation and the on-going response; providing a framework for how emergency assistance can be provided to meet the immediate humanitarian needs of populations fleeing violence in Northern Nigeria. Responses to the protection concerns, as well as fulfilling basic needs and providing access to essential services (such as safety, food & non-food assistance, healthcare and education) are central to this plan.
Response partners will continue to mobilize support for an inter-agency response to the deteriorating refugee situation in Nigeria and neighbouring countries. UNHCR, together with the governments of the countries of asylum, will continue to implement protection monitoring activities and coordinate emergency assistance in close collaboration with UN agencies, international and national non- governmental organizations (NGOs) and other civil society partners.
This RRRP presents an overview of the requirements of all partners identified in the inter-agency response, and calls for both resource mobilization to facilitate a timely and effective response based on the operating principles of collaboration, coordination and complementarity amongst all stakeholders.
