October 25, 2017

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is partnering with the Federal and State Governments to embark on emergency solutions for the influx of Cameroonian refugees fleeing to Nigeria.

Mr Hanson Tamfu, External Relations Officer, UNHCR made this known in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.

Tamfu said that the UN Refugee agency and its partners as well as local, state and federal authorities have commenced emergency activities to provide assistance and protection to the increasing number of Cameroonian refugees.

He explained that the refugees were fleeing from the North West and South West regions of Cameroon following the escalated violence over the declaration of the independence of Southern Cameroon on Oct. 1.

According to him, most of the refugees are currently hosted in large numbers in Cross River and Akwa Ibom states of Nigeria, who are mostly from Akwaya subdivision, of the South West region in Cameroon.

“Although initial registration figures put the number of refugees at 2,000, UNHCR partners on ground are estimating that there are at least another 2,300 unregistered refugees as more people continue to arrive every day.

“Thus, there could be around 4,500 Cameroonian refugees currently in Cross River state, with more arriving.

“In response, UNHCR and its partners, the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons and Rhema Care, are preparing to resume registration tomorrow in order to respond more effectively to the needs of the refugees,” Tamfu said.

Tamfu said that Mr John Inaku, Director General, Cross River State
Emergency Managing Agency (SEMA) led the group of humanitarian team to some locations hosting the refugees in Obanliku and Obudu Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Cross River state.

He said that the locations include Utanga, Amana and Obudu Up Ranch, where a teeming population have arrived in the already fragile host communities with some households hosting as many as 15 refugees.

According to him, a UNHCR advance team, together with government authorities have been assessing critical needs of the refugees in terms of food, clothing and especially shelter as well as visiting government-proposed sites for temporary settlements.

He said that many of the refugees are visibly weak and desperate as they complain of not eating for over three days, with many others ill and the health care centres already running out of drugs.

Tamfu said that about seven women have delivered since coming to Nigeria and at least another 50 are expecting to deliver in the next two weeks.

He said that the UNHCR is expected to arrive with four truckloads of food and non-food items which would not suffice, considering both the condition of the refugees as well as that of the host communities.

He said that the UNHCR and the States authorities are calling on stakeholders, including UN agencies and International and local NGOs, to speedily intervene in their respective areas of competence to prevent the situation from worsening any further.

Tamfu said that the influx of the Cameroonian refugees was adding to the already immense weight borne by the Nigerian authorities and humanitarian actors, especially as they prepare for the voluntary repatriation of Nigerian refugees from Cameroon, Chad and Niger.