UN Summit to focus on Lake Chad Basin

The United Nations will be holding a special meeting on the Lake Chad basin that has for several years been a victim of the Boko Haram insurgency and that of global warming.

This is according to media sources, who also indicate that the summit, scheduled to be held on September 23 in New York, will be presided over by UN chief Ban Kimoon and will be attended by the heads of state of the Lake Chad basin.

Among the issues to be discussed include climate change, migration and the ongoing violence in the region.

In preparation for the meeting, UN Assistant Secretary-General Toby Lanzer went on a three-day visit to Niger’s Diffa region where he met a distressed population who have suffered frequent attacks from Boko Haram Islamist militants.

He has however vowed to make their case to the donor community also invited to attend the meeting.

The international community has been called to increase financial assistance in a bid to help Niger cope with the humanitarian crisis.

Niger is ranked among the poorest countries in the world.