All is still not well with African most populous country as the United Nations says a new emergency situation requiring urgent attention has erupted in Nigeria, particularly in the country’s north east which calls for additional funding up to the tune of $9.5 million to intensify its activities.
The activities due to a surge Spontaneous returns of Nigerian refugees since the beginning of the year, mainly from Cameroon would be conducted through (UNHCR), the UN Refugee Agency,
“This is a new emergency situation, requiring urgent attention. Many of these returnees can not return to their homes because of security problems and they are eventually displaced again in deplorable humanitarian conditions. While UNHCR does not encourage or facilitate these returns, we must do our utmost to help these vulnerable people, “said Volker Türk, UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Protection. Many returnees live in camps and facilities displaced by destitution and overcrowding conditions. The situation is particularly difficult in the town of Banki, in northeastern Nigeria, where many are forced to live in the open air, with limited access to drinking water, food and medicine.
“During my recent visit to the region, I was not only dismayed by the magnitude of humanitarian needs, but also deeply shocked by the magnitude of the trauma, social division and mistrust,” said Volker Türk , Who has traveled to Nigeria and Cameroon in the last three weeks.
“We urge the international community to pay more attention to this highly complex and sensitive humanitarian and security situation,” said the UNHCR senior official. As vulnerabilities increase, funding is, unfortunately, insufficient to meet needs. UNHCR has already received contributions of $ 41.1 million from donors out of a total requirement of $ 179.5 million in 2017 for Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad.
“The current funding for humanitarian assistance is not commensurate with the generous hospitality provided by governments and host communities,” said Valentin Tapsoba, Director of UNHCR’s Regional Office for Africa, A briefing to donors on the situation in Nigeria on 24 July 2017.
This additional funding would enable UNHCR to increase its presence at border sites and improve border monitoring and protection. The UN Refugee Agency is also planning to expand reception facilities and launch major information campaigns to ensure that Nigerian refugees in Far North Cameroon have access to information Accurate and up-to-date information on the situation prevailing in the areas of return to Nigeria.
“In my recent discussions with the two Governments, I also stressed the need to implement a mechanism to address the legitimate concerns of refugees in terms of security and protection needs,” he added . “I was assured that steps had been taken to end forced returns, a problem that was of great concern to UNHCR,” Volker Türk said.
“The first meeting of the Tripartite Commission, expected to take place in early August, will be a positive step forward,” he said. The Commission was established after the signing in March of a tripartite agreement between UNHCR, Nigeria and Cameroon on the voluntary repatriation of Nigerian refugees when conditions are favorable.
Between January and June 2017, almost 135,000 refugees returned to Nigeria, mainly women and children. The majority of them have left the refugee settlements of Minawao and Kolofata in the Far North region of Cameroon.
UNHCR is making every effort to meet the needs of more than 2.5 million people who have become refugees, internally displaced or returnees in the Lake Chad region as a result of the armed conflict.
DGW
