Alai Nanga, a 76 year old traditional leader from Lelea, Niger island of the Lake Chad in the camp of Dar es Salam (Chad). © UNHCR / Dos Santos

Nigerian refugees, Niger returnees, internally persons displaced from the Lake Chad or from villages that were attacked by the insurgents on the Niger territory, economic migrants evacuated from the Lake Chad…. The nomenclature referring to the category of the people affected by the crisis in Northeastern Nigeria, and beyond, is already rather long. Another category adds to the list: Niger refugees who fled towards Chad since the end of April when the authorities ordered the islands in Lake Chad to be evacuated. According to UNHCR Chad they number more than 2,000.
Mostly from the Boudouma ethnic group, suspected by the authorities on both sides of the border to be close to the insurgents, they decided to leave for Chad as they felt harassed by the Niger army. The majority of them come from the Lelea Island (Niger) and headed to the Chadian city of Karam. As they left in a hurry they arrived with nothing as recounted by Alai Nanga, a 76 year old traditional leader: “We had to run away and leave everything behind”. It took four days of walking to reach Karam. The group of refugees is mainly composed by elderlies, women and children. Some of them died on the road, victim of thirst or snake bits. There aren’t many men of working age among the refugees as they are said to have stayed behind in order to continue their livelihood activities.
Due to the specificity of this group, UNHCR Chad will actively engage in protection monitoring. Refugees are being transferred on a voluntary basis to the Dar es Salam refugee camp, on the eastern shores of Lake Chad. The arrival in the camp is a welcome development as explained by Alai Nanga: “We have been well received by the local population. We are safe and free to leave the Dar es Salam site to go to the market with no hassle at any time we want. We are feeling better even if we have lost everything”. At this point in time, the return to Lelea remains an undesired prospect to him and his family. Alai believes that the security situation will continue to deteriorate preventing any possibilities to settle home anytime soon.
Nigerian refugees, Congolese refugees, Sudanese refugees, Central African refugees…. The list of nationalities hosted as refugees by Chad is already long. Unfortunately we are now obliged to add Alai Nanga and other refugees from Niger to this list.