NORTH-EAST NIGERA: Flash Update #1 Damasak Town, LGA 11 April 2021

HIGHLIGHTS:  NSAG and NAF clashes in Damasak, resulting in the targeting of humanitarian personnel and humanitarian assets  29 Humanitarian workers (UN Staff and NGO personnel) secured in safe houses awaiting relocation on Sun 11 Apr  Out of the 85,000 people receiving humanitarian assistance in Damasak town, 8,830 are IDPs and 76,000 are people in the host community  The UN operations in Damasak have been temporarily suspended following relocation of staff  The last significant known attack in Damasak took place on 18 March, during which an NGO guest house and two vehicles destroyed and looted

Situation Overview On 10 April 2021, non-state armed group (NSAG) operatives attacked a military post in Damasak town including the brigade headquarter of the Damasak military “super camp”. The NSAGs attacked the general hospital and carted away medical supplies and the hospital’s ambulance, the newly renovated police barracks and vehicle.

Attacks not targeting civilians Although civilian homes including one belonging to a community leader (Lawan) were also burned (whom they accused of sharing information with the military), NSAGs did not attack the IDP camp and made it clear not to be targeting IDPs and civilians. Five civilians (2 women, 3 children) were killed while others sustained injuries from military aircraft during the attack. Both military and NSAG suffered several casualties.

Humanitarian Situation More than 1,000 people, including IDPs and humanitarian staff, fled into nearby bushes, and some crossed the border to the Niger Republic in search of safety and security. Following the withdrawal of operatives, some households, including humanitarian workers have returned to Damasak while others proceeded to the Niger Republic to seek refuge. As of the morning of 11 April, people from the host communities began their normal activities in the town, with heavy military presence observed. More assessments will need to be conducted to ascertain the needs of the people after the attacks. It is likely that more clashes will follow.

Targeting humanitarian assets and personnel As a change of tactic not yet seen in previous attacks, the NSAG operatives burned down and targeted humanitarian facilities and assets (the UN-run Humanitarian Hub, ACTED warehouse, guesthouses of NRC, AAH, GISCOR, INTERSOS and FHI360). Two water tanks were impacted at the humanitarian hub. Humanitarian workers took refuge in the safe room throughout the attack period which lasted five hours.

UN Presence in Damasak: International: 0; UN national staff: 8 (IOM: 4; UNICEF:2; UNDSS:1; WHO:1)

The mission of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is to Coordinate the global emergency response to save lives and protect people in humanitarian crises. We advocate for effective and principled humanitarian action by all, for all. www.unocha.org As of Sunday 11 April, at 14:30 hrs, 29 humanitarian staff from the UN, international Humanitarian facilities/assets and national NGOs have been relocated from Damasak to on three UNHAS burnt during attacks rotational flights. 1. A mobile storage unit (MSU) operated by ACTED (8 Background organizations lost cargo worth GSS Damasak camp, the only IDP camp in the town, hosts 8,830 people which includes over $260k) 1,800 people that returned from Niger Republic between 1 – 8 April 2021. The 2. FHI360 office, health outpost, population in the host community is 76,000. Following an influx of new arrivals into and two vehicles 3. NRC office/guest and one Damasak between September 2020 and January 2021, the Government vehicle taken away approved the establishment of a new camp in January. Partners intensified shelter 4. INTERSOS office construction, WASH and NFI services enabling expansion of the camp’s capacity to 5. GISCOR guesthouse accommodate 10,000 people. Mobile clinics and blanket supplementary feeding 6. Water tanks at the programmes implemented by partners are the main health and nutrition services Humanitarian hub. available to the entire population in Damasak.

Before the attack on 10 April, there were 20 UN agencies, INGO and NNGO partners with staff deployment in Damasak.

For further information, please contact: Esty Sutyoko Deputy Head of Office, OCHA , [email protected], +234 903 781 0095 Hanibal Abiy Worku, Head of Field coordination, OCHA Nigeria, [email protected], +234 906 253 8761 For media contact: Christine Cool, Head of Public Information Unit, OCHA Nigeria [email protected], +234 907 343 0290 For more information, please visit www.unocha.org/nigeria; reports.unocha.org/en/country/nigeria; www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/nigeria

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs www.unocha.org