Conflict, Household Victimization, and Welfare : Does the Perpetrator Matter?
This paper studies the relationship between conflict and household welfare by using a detailed panel data set of household victimization across the most conflict-affected regions in Nigeria between 2010 and 2017, during a time characterized by a sh...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2019
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/348121568728252841/Conflict-Household-Victimization-and-Welfare-Does-the-Perpetrator-Matter http://hdl.handle.net/10986/32427 |
| Summary: | This paper studies the relationship
between conflict and household welfare by using a detailed
panel data set of household victimization across the most
conflict-affected regions in Nigeria between 2010 and 2017,
during a time characterized by a sharp increase in conflict.
The North East region has been hardest hit with the recent
Boko Haram insurgency. The North Central region has seen
clashes between herders and farmers over land and resources.
Several militant groups operate in the oil-producing Niger
Delta region, where their aim is to extract resources by
disrupting oil production. By exploiting the plausibly
exogenous variation in the timing, intensity, and spatial
distribution of victimization, this study finds that
becoming a victim of conflict leads to higher food
insecurity and decreased consumption. Since different types
of actors have different motivations for their actions, the
consequences of victimization might vary depending on the
perpetrator. The study finds that events perpetrated by
insurgents are the most detrimental to consumption, whereas
food insecurity increases as a consequence of insurgent and
criminal activity. This is in line with the results being
strongest in the North East, which also has the highest
intensity of conflict. The study also finds that
property-related events are more detrimental to consumption
and food insecurity than are violent events. Likewise, it
finds suggestive evidence that violent events, as well as
events perpetrated by insurgents and bandits, are
detrimental to mental health. The findings highlight the
importance of collecting nuanced information on
victimization in conflict-affected areas. |
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