UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has begun the process of relocating over 10,000 Cameroonian Internally Displaced Persons to permanent camps in Benue.
The Assistant Representative in charge of Operation of UNHCR, Boubacar Bamba made this known while briefing newsmen on Friday in Makurd.
Bamba said: “we are moving them to a safer and permanent place for security reasons following clashes between the French and English speaking side of Cameroon over resource control.
The IDPs were formally camped at a temporary camp at Abande community in Kwande Local Government of Benue but were moved to a permanent site at Anyeke in same local government.
The IDPs have been in Benue as a result of internal conflict in their country.
“Over 50 per cent of the populations are children while 30 per cent are women, Benue state which shares border with Cameroon had in 2017 witnessed over 10 thousand refugees camped in Kwande Local govt area of the state” he said.
Also speaking, Mr Josiah Flomo, head of sub office Calabar, also explained the reasons for the relocation of the Cameroonian IDP’s to their new camp.
“We hope the crises will come to an end, but before then we have to see the IDPs camped in conducive environment.
“We intend to move them to the permanent site so they can have basic social amenities and security,” Flomo said.
Responding, the Executive Secretary of the Benue Emergency Management Agency, Emmanuel Shior, who represented the state governor at the occasion, thanked the UN for its response and building a better shelter for the Cameroonians IDPs.
Some of the refugees who expressed appreciation to UNCHR for relocating them to a safer place, appeal to Nigerian government to help wade into the crisis in Cameroon to enable them return home.
Anyeke community in Kwande local government area is where the refugees are sheltered and the community promised to do all it can to assist them.
