4000 Cameroonians Face Starvation, Disease in Nigeria
The influx of thousands of Cameroonians from Southern
Cameroon into Nigeria is raising serious humanitarian concerns in Cross River
state. No fewer than 36 thousand refugees are seeking asylum in the state,
especially in Northern Senatorial District, in the wake of the crisis rocking
that part of the country.
Food
and health crisis is already threatening over 4.000 refugees and their host
communities in Boki Local Government Area, where residents fear that unless
urgent steps are taken, Nigeria may witness a huge loss of lives in the affected
areas.
When
The Guardian visited some of the communities recently, the women and children
were looking haggard, malnourished and frustrated.
Recounting
their ordeals, they said they were not finding life easy since they became
refugees in Bashu Okpambe/Bokim, Bashu Kaku, Abo Bonabe, Obisu, Danere, and
Okwangwo. One of the refugees from Kajifu village in Akwaya, South West region
of Cameroon, who is taking refuge alongside his family in Bashu Okpambe
community, Ojong Steven, said: “I am here with my family of 11 because of the
war that happened in Cameroon. The Bashu people are trying their best, but the
problem is that, we the Cameroonians are more than the people in the village so
we find it difficult to feed and get satisfied.
“At
times when they bring food, we normally eat together with our hosts, but the
food does not go round. Secondly, I am having issues with my heart and when I
was in Cameroon, I used to go for checkup, but now I can’t do that anymore. My
children are supposed to go to school, meaning it has affected their education.
Two of them were in the University, but now they are all here with me, I don’t
know what to do.”
On her
part, Mrs. Bamate said: “I have five daughters and they have all stopped going
to school. Since I was born, I have never experienced such a thing before. They
forced us out of our village and since then we have been staying here. We
hardly have food to eat. We sleep on the bare floor coupled with the harsh
weather.”
In
tears, Magdalene Kekong, who is living in a household with her husband and six
children said: “My 18-year-old son is epileptic and needs medical attention.
When we were still in our country, I used to take him to the hospital, where he
received medical care, but since we became refugees here, his situation has
become worse because he stopped taking treatment. The worst of it is that the
people we are sharing apartment with have threatened to send us parking. I, my
husband and six children are all living together in a single room.”
The
state government, through the Special Adviser on Aviation Matters, Mr. Amos
Kajang, has promised to intervene as quickly as possible to prevent an outbreak
of epidemic. When he visited some of the communities in Boki, Kajang said: “The
number that I have come to see is more than what has been reported lately. More
than 4.000 people are here and what I have seen is a direct threat, ecological
threat in terms of survival, housing, shelter, health and all related to the
livelihoods of the people. I have discovered that in most households, there are
about twelve persons in one room and I foresee an outbreak of epidemic if
measures are not taken.”
“A few days ago, the state governor had a meeting with the
chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar and he raised issues concerning
Bashu, Dana and Okwangwo. He also assured the people that he was going to swing
into action to ensure that a swift intervention would be taken and we have
assured the people that government will not sleep or rest until something is
done,” he added.
According to the village head of Bashu Community, Chief
Emmanuel Echam, the community is facing a major problem as the refugees are
more in number than the members of the community harboring them. He appealed to
the state government to come to their aid as they no longer have where to
sleep, food to eat or medication to take.
(Source: The
Guardian, Nigeria)
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