UN Sounds the Alarm on Situation of Anglophone Refugees in Nigeria

The UN agency calls for urgent support to Cameroonian refugees in Nigeria.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has just sounded the alarm about the situation of Cameroonian refugees in Nigeria. In a report released March 20, 2018, UNHCR calls for “urgently support the number of English-speaking Cameroonian asylum seekers in Nigeria that has doubled since mid-January” 2018.

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According to the agency, “more than 20,000 Cameroonian refugees” have been registered and continue to flow into the Nigerian states of Cross River, Taraba, Benue and Akwa-Ibom. These refugees face “difficulties to survive”. Women and children make up four-fifths of this population according to UNHCR.

The UNHCR report notes that a recent evaluation by humanitarian organizations indicates that “the situation is extremely worrying”.

At a press briefing in Geneva on March 20, 2018, UNHCR spokeswoman Aikaterini Kitidi said, “95% of asylum seekers have no more than three days of food in stock. Most families only eat one meal a day. According to UNHCR spokesperson, coping strategies themselves are risky and range from borrowing money to reducing portion sizes of food or saving food for children only.

Only five out of every 100 Cameroonians have decent or independent shelter, says UNHCR. “The others have little or no privacy, squatting rooms accommodating an average of 10 to 15 people.”

Psychologically, refugees suffer from fear and anxiety, poor sleep and flashbacks. “In total, around 20 to 30 per cent of asylum seekers have vulnerability, including physical disabilities.”

To help these refugees with satisfaction, UNHCR urgently needs $ 18 million and is still waiting for donor contributions. “To date, the UN agency has received no contribution to its appeal for funds,” regrets the UNHCR.

To avoid further arrivals of refugees from Cameroon, the spokesman of the UN agency believes that "it is urgent to find a political solution to the situation in Cameroon, so that Cameroonians can return home safely and of their own free will ".