Since May 2013, a violent insurgency by Boko Haram has led to widespread displacement and an escalating humanitarian crisis in the Lake Chad region. According to UNHCR, nearly 1.4 million people have been internally displaced in northeast Nigeria alone, and approximately 170,000 people have fled to neighbouring Cameroon (56,000), Chad (14,000), and Niger (100,000). At least 1,300 people have died due to the violence so far this year.

Nigeria's Borno State remains the epicentre of the current conflict and the situation continues to be extremely volatile and tense. Random attacks are common, mostly targeting civilians.