Finally UN Raises Concerns Over Cameroon’s Women, Children Refugees In Nigeria

The United Nations refugee agency has expressed concern over the precarious conditions of women and children who make up over 80 percent of the 10.000 Cameroonian refugees in Nigeria’s Cross River state.

Clashes between separatist forces and the military in the border town of Mamfe in the South West region of Cameroon has forced thousands to flee their homes for the past months.

“Some of these(refugees) are boys and girls who fled to Nigeria alone,” William Spindler, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) told reporters at a regular press briefing in Geneva at the weekend.

“UNHCR has received numerous reports that children have to work or beg to survive or to help their families,” he added.

The UNHCR says most of these children are unable to attend school because of lack of time and money and there are thousand more unregistered in neighbouring states in Nigeria.

Finally UN Raises Concerns Over Cameroon’s Women, Children Refugees In Nigeria

Women have been forced to engage in sexual activities for survival most often leading to sexual and Gender-based violence.

“For women, the lack of work combined with the over-stretched reception facilities, creates a higher risk of sexual and gender-based violence, particularly from survival sex,” he continued.
A few such cases has been reported in the Amana community of Cross River state but the UNHCR has expressed concerns that many more could go unreported or are referred only to community elders who usually sweep it under the carpet.
“Incidents of domestic violence, as well as cases of teenage pregnancies involving girls as young as 14, have also been reported,” the spokesperson elaborated.

Most of the refugees are deprived of their privacy given the lack of adequate accommodation space as most of the refugees sleep inside inside communal school halls.

However, the UNHCR and Nigerian authorities are working to identify sites away from the border, where the refugees can live according to international standards, Mr. Spindler said.

“We are also establishing offices in the towns of Calabar and Adikpo to better provide assistance and protection to the women and children,” he said.

Support such as food, basic relief items, water and sanitation facilities will equally be boosted in supply to the refugees.

Since November 2016 Cameroon’s two English-speaking regions have been protesting against what they see as marginalisation from the government.

Some have called for the independence of the regions as a solution and tensions reached its peak when scores of persons were killed on October 1 as activists attempted to symbolically declare their independence. This has seen led to a military crackdown on activists leading to thousands to flee their homes and cross into Nigeria. Finally UN Raises Concerns Over Cameroon’s Women, Children Refugees in Nigeria