Thousands of people have fled Cameroon’s violence-hit anglophone regions into neighbouring Nigeria in recent weeks, the UN said Tuesday, adding it was preparing to help 40,000 refugees from the unrest.
In press statement made in Genva today, UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch said the UN refugee agency and Nigerian authorities have so far registered some 2,000 Cameroonians who have fled into southeastern Nigeria since October 1, while another 3,000 were awaiting registration.
“Together with the Nigerian authorities, we have registered some 2,000 people so far, with the help of our local partners in various locations in Southwestern Nigeria. An additional 3,000 are awaiting registration, while more people might be trapped in forests on the Cameroonian side as they attempt to cross the border”.
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| Breaking Cameroon News - Thousands Flee Crisis-Hit Anglophone Regions Into Nigeria |
It equally stated that UNHCR is working with the Nigerian government and other UN agencies on a contingency plan, readying humanitarian assistance for up to 40,000 people crossing into Nigeria. “Our fear, however, is that 40,000 might actually be a conservative figure in a situation where the conflict might continue”.
The agency warned that the new refugee crisis is coming at a time when Nigeria and Cameroon are already grappling with one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises caused by the boko haram insurgency. Some 2.5 million people in the Lake Chad region have already been displaced by the Boko Haram sect, which has killed at least 20,000 people since 2009.
At least 11 persons were killed by the terrorists on Sunday in Cameroon’s Far North region.
