The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) predicts that more than 40,000 Cameroonians will flee into Nigeria to escape the conflict that has rocked the Anglophone parts of their country.
“UNHCR is working with the Nigerian government and other UN agencies on a contingency plan, readying humanitarian assistance for up to 40,000 people crossing into Nigeria. Our fear, however, is that 40,000 might actually be a conservative figure in a situation where the conflict might continue,” it said in a statement on Tuesday.
According to the agency, it had already registered some 2,000 people so far, with an additional 3,000 awaiting registration.
It also said that more people fleeing to Nigeria might still be trapped in forests on the Cameroon side as they attempt to cross the border.
UNHCR is liaising with Nigerian authorities in different locations to better assess the situation.
The agency it has already delivered relief items such as mattresses and blankets, mosquito nets, cooking utensils or hygiene kits, as well as 40 tons of food.
Nigeria and Cameroon are already grappling with one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with 2.5 million people displaced by Boko Haram insurgency in the Lake Chad region.
UNHCR said it was working with the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) to distribute relief items in Nigeria’s Cross River State.
