The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on Friday said inter-communal clashes in Cameroon’s Far North region have forced at least 100,000 people to flee from their homes over the past two weeks, reported UN News.
“Indications are that displacement into Chad has accelerated fast, as the total is nearly triple the figure reported last week when 30,000 people had crossed the border seeking safety”, UNHCR spokesperson Matthew Saltmarsh said during a regular press briefing in Geneva.
It is estimated that over 85,000 people have entered Chad in the last few days, while at least 15,000 Cameroonians have been forced to relocate inside their country. It is expected that the total may be higher since humanitarian access in the area is very limited.
According to data, the influx of people into Chad has increased rapidly, as the total is nearly triple the figure reported last week when 30,000 people had crossed the border seeking safety.
44 people lost their lives and 111got injured in the fighting this week, compared to 22 dead and 30 wounded reported last week. 112 villages have been burned down so far.
The UN refugee agency has declared a Level 2 emergency and is rapidly boosting its operations to assist affected people in Cameroon and new refugees who have fled into Chad.
The UNHCR spokesperson said refugees are in dire need of shelter, blankets, hygienic kits, and mats. He added that local communities are generously hosting some of the refugees, but most are still forced to sleep in the open and under trees.
Saltmarsh said the UNHCR teams are working with the Cameroon and Chad governments to identify new hosting sites to better protect refugees in line with international standards.
Notably, Chad hosts nearly one million refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs), and Cameroon over 1.5 million refugees and IDPs.
