Cameroon refugee situation, crises: MINAT, UN Humanitarian Coordinator Agree On Response Guidelines

The United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Cameroon has with the Minister of Territorial Administration agreed guidelines and set dates to kick-start response to needy communities, and to refugees in the country. Matthias Z. Naab made the disclosure in Yaoundé Wednesday 24 February 2021 at the end of an audience with Atanga Nji Paul.

MINAT boss and UN Humanitarian coordinator 

“…this is a follow-up meeting with MINAT to discuss the humanitarian response plan. We wanted to get his guide and advice on how we agree on the various components of the response plan,” he explained while declaring their intention to launch a humanitarian response plan in the next fourteen days based on agreement on key numbers and dates with the Minister.

Naab said he also used the audience to brief the minister about his recent visit to the East region to appraise the situation of influx of refugees from the Central African Republic and assess not only their needs but also that of host communities.

“… I took the opportunity to brief the Minister about my impressions of the situation. I was particularly touched with the generosity and hospitality of the government and the people of Cameroon to our fellow brothers and sisters from the CAR. I was impressed with the co-existence between refugees and host communities but at the same time I was also touched by the needs that were expressed by not just the refugees but also the host communities,” Naab said.

He assured that the UN humanitarian team is working closely with government to see how it can respond briefly and quickly to the needs of the region and also to that of vulnerable camps and the host communities.

Reports from non-for-profit organisations including the Norwegian Refugee Council, Save the Children, Mercy Corps, and ACAPS – a consortium of three NGOs, indicates that Cameroon hosts at least 290,000 refugees in the East and Adamaoua regions. 

With the rise in violence in the CAR following the 27 December 2020 elections, more and more refugees are said to be flooding into Cameroon. At least 5,000 people are said to have recently arrived the border locality of Garouda-Boulaï.

By Doh Bertrand Nua