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The United Nations refugee agency has appealed for an additional $9.5 million to scale up its activities in northeast Nigeria, owing to an unexpected surge in self-organized returns of Nigerian refugees mainly from Cameroon since the beginning of the year.

“This is a new emergency, which requires urgent attention,” said Volker Türk, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in a press release.

About 135,000 refugees have returned to Nigeria since January 2017, mainly women and children. The majority left Minawao and Kolofata refugee settlements, in the Far North Region of Cameroon.

“Many of these returnees are unable to go back to their homes due to security concerns and end up being displaced again, in dire humanitarian conditions,” he added.

The situation is particularly difficult in the town of Banki, where many are forced to live outdoors and have limited access to drinking water, food and medicine.

“During my recent visit to the region, I was not only appalled by the scale of the humanitarian needs, but also deeply shocked at the level of trauma, social division and distrust,” said Mr. Türk, who visited both Nigeria and Cameroon over the past three weeks.

“We urge the international community to pay more attention to this highly complex and challenging humanitarian and security situation,” he added.

According to the UNHCR, the additional funding would allow the agency to increase its presence in border locations and improve border and protection monitoring.

Mr. Türk also said that the governments of both countries gave him assurances that action has been taken to end involuntary returns.