Rebuilding Hope and Home

Nigeria Crisis Response 2014 – 2019

BBC: Boko Haram’s Decade of Terror Explained


Crisis Details

The Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) reported 14.8 million people have been affected by the Boko Haram violence in Northeast Nigeria. From 2014 through 2019, Boko Haram has been listed as one of the top ten deadliest terrorist organizations in the world. Around 2.2 million people were displaced. Many are still living as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) or as refugees in Cameroon, Niger or Chad. Only about 8% of the IDPs have relocated to Nigerian government run camps or settlements. Despite the overwhelming needs of the crisis, the Nigerian authorities only provide aid to those in government run camps. The rest of the displaced people are living with family and friends or being supporting by church programs like EYN’s Disaster Relief Ministry and several other non-governmental organizations in the area.

There are many challenges facing the displaced families with the biggest issue being access to food. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates 2.5 million children are malnourished. It is very difficult for IDPs to grow any food or have any way of earning a living. Other major issues include access to clean water, waste sanitation, and violence against women (gender-based violence). Many people have returned to their traditional cities and villages to find churches, businesses and homes destroyed. More than 4000 widows have been identified. Many of the children of NE Nigeria have been out of school for years. Those returning to their homes live under the continual threat of suicide bombings, attacks on farmers and night raids on towns. Three states (Borno, Adamawa and Yobe) remain in a “State of Emergency” and the terror of another Boko Haram attack still looms large over this area in Northeast Nigeria.


Nigeria Crisis Relief and Recovery

Nigeria Crisis Response is a large-scale holistic program continues providing emergency relief and early recovery, even as we transition to long term recovery activities in safer communities. Working in partnership with EYN and other Nigerian non-profit organizations, the major relief and recovery program is providing

  • emergency food and supplies
  • drinking water
  • education for children
  • trauma recovery and peace building for all ages
  • seeds and fertilizer for agriculture; tools and resources for making a living
  • repair of damaged homes and
  • support of church leadership

The response of the US Church is amazing. Over 5.8 million dollars has been raised for this humanitarian crisis. Our response to Nigeria has saved lives, helped avert starvation and supported thousands of people through this horrific time. Even with this progress, the journey to recovery is still long and our support is desperately needed as we continue to help families and our sister church recover.

2014-2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 TOTAL
Funds Raised $4,223,492 $786,295 $425,169 $199,742 $170,521 $5,805,219
Mission & Ministry Board allocation $1,000,000 $1,000,000
COB Emergency Disaster Fund $500,000 $500,000
Individual donations $503,621 $183,322 $118,604 $73,649 $54,909 $934,105
Congregational or District donations $1,812,871 $367,972 $276,565 $126,092 $115,612 $2,699,112
Christian Aid Ministries* $340,000 $235,000 $575,000
United Church of Christ $25,000 $25,000
Christian Church/Disciples of Christ $42,000 $30,000 $42,000

Christian Aid Ministries (CAM) was a funding and program partner providing financial support for feeding and sheltering programs. They sent staff to Nigeria to assist with distributions and mentoring of EYN Crisis Team staff.

The determination, resiliency and faith of the Nigerian people is courageous and inspiring. 70% of those displaced in 2014, have returned home. Families from Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) and their neighbors have started the long journey to recovery and return to self-sufficiency. Even though security has improved, millions of Christian and Muslim families are still traumatized by this crisis. On top of the Boko Haram insurgency, Fulani herdsmen have been targeting Christian villages across Nigeria’s middle belt. Many have been killed and their homes and businesses have been destroyed.

The Nigeria Crisis Response is providing resources and tools so people can support themselves and restart their lives. EYN congregations continue to worship in temporary structures even while plans are underway to rebuild their beloved church buildings. With our support, repairs have been completed at EYN headquarters in Kwarhi; Kulp Bible College is holding classes and the Comprehensive Secondary School has reopened. With so much accomplished the Nigeria people and EYN families continually share their deep gratitude toward their American sisters and brothers.

Nigeria Crisis Response Relief & Recovery Activity 2014-2019
Area of Ministry/Relief Activity 2014-2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 TOTAL
Rebuilding Homes, Water & Sanitation $751,563 $294,910 $82,953 $125,351 $102,727 $1,357,504
Food, Medical & Household Supplies $716,103 $290,157 $93,784 $112,167 $141,191 $1,353,402
Peace Building & Trauma Recovery $36,276 $113,126 $58,362 $23,866 $18,384 $250,014
Agriculture & Livelihoods $231,976 $419,810 $212,997 $141,375 $114,784 $1,120,942
Education (children, including orphans) $120,585 $166,931 $67,424 $45,718 $30,620 $431,278
EYN Church Recovery & Strengthening $632,813 $125,499 $20,633 $27,753 $89,548 $896,246
U.S. Volunteers, Staff, Travel, Misc. $204,945 $125,195 $66,229 $72,432 $57,914 $526,715
Yearly Totals $2,694,262 $1,535,628 $602,383 $548,662 $557,187 $5,936,101

Current Recovery Partners

Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, Church of the Brethren in Nigeria)

EYN is the primary COB partner receiving 70% of the response funds.

Center for Caring, Empowerment and Peace Initiatives (CCEPI)

With a primary mission to aid widows, orphans and women with children, CCEPI has expanded to meet broader needs in this crisis. CCEPI is focusing more on livelihood support for widows and orphans.

Lifeline Compassionate Global Initiative (LCGI)

This interfaith program started in Jos and is a model interfaith relocation project located close to Abuja with 62 relocated Christian and Muslim families. There are plans to build more homes.


Church Rebuilding

Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) is the hardest hit group by the violence of the terrorist group Boko Haram. There are other Christian churches and Muslims impacted, but not to the degree EYN has been affected. Boko Haram was the deadliest terrorist group in 2014 bringing death and destruction to the very heartland of EYN. In total 1,668 churches or church branches were burned or abandoned (nearly 70 percent of the EYN church buildings). The church is the center of community for EYN members, functioning as a safe space for many faith and community activities. It is difficult for a community to fully recover without their local church.

A special program is raising funds to rebuild burned EYN churches. Support given to the Church Rebuilding Fund will be sent to EYN Headquarters to support the EYN Church Rebuilding Program. These funds are kept separate from the more general Nigeria Crisis Response funds focused on community recovery and development.

Give to Nigeria Crisis Fund

Give to Nigeria Building Fund


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