The Baptist World Alliance is urging the United Nations to increase its threat level designation for Nigeria and the Lake Chad region.
The global Baptist organization cited rampant conflict and dislocation in the region, including “violence, murder and kidnapping” in its plea for a Level 3 threat designation.
The targeting of faith groups and houses of worship also are common, BWA said in a news release.
That level denotes “the most severe large-scale humanitarian crisis,” BWA said.
The affected area includes 14 million people, with 3 to 5 million of them being internally displaced, the organization noted.
The military and political context for these conditions is known all too well.
“Extremists in Nigeria, mainly the violent Islamist group, Boko Haram, and Fulani militants, have led a series of attacks in Nigeria and neighboring countries such as Cameroon, Chad and Niger. Millions lost property, home and agricultural produce, and have had to flee elsewhere in their own nations or into other countries,” BWA said.
BWA also urged Baptists around the world to stand with victims of the unrest, to pray and support the development of a viable peace process for the region.