The Lake Chad Basin shows a complex regional system defined by multiple instabilities. Non-state Salafi-jihadi actors – namely Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) – confront state institutions and compete for power over local communities, fuelling regional political and economic insecurity. Furthermore, an increasingly harsh climate is having a serious impact on livelihood activities, feeding into social tensions – such as farmers-herders conflicts over access to natural resources – and prompting a severe humanitarian crisis. The intertwined nature of these factors challenges the response capability of national governments.

What are the social and security effects of this crisis within and beyond the Lake Chad Basin region? How is the jihadist threat developing in this area? In which domains is humanitarian assistance failing?