IDPs near 800,000 as armed conflict in North West, South West persists

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, UNOCHA has released startling figures on the armed conflict that is raging for a fourth consecutive year in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions.

In its latest report, UNOCHA indicates that some 3 million people are affected by the armed conflict in the North West and South West regions, with over 705,000 IDPs within or displaced from the regions.

It adds that there are close to 70,000 refugees from the crisis living in neighboring Nigeria and 360,000 returnees (former IDPs) are back in the North West and South West regions.

In the situation report for the month of September, OCHA catalogues a series of crimes citing reports of attacks on education facilites and personnel, kidnapping of students, burning of schools and military use of non-operational schools.

It also notes thaf “human rights organizations reported 11 civilians killed by state security forces in Buea and Bamenda in September 2020.”

“676 Gender Based Violence (GBV) incidents were reported in the two regions. The Nutrition and Health clusters reported a decrease in activities in September caused by lockdowns and ghost towns” it added.

With 1.4 million persons targeted for assistance in the crisis-hit regions, OCHA revealed that of the 390.9 million US Dollars required in aid, it has received a total of 158.2million US Dollars.

UNOCHA’s latest report comes as anarchy prevails in the regions. This is due to the fact that soldiers and separatist fighters have failed to come to a compromise, leaving civilians at the mercy of the belligerents.

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Mimi Mefo Info