Boko Haram Crisis: UN calls for international humanitarian support

The United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, Kyung-wha Kang, concluded a seven-day mission to the Central African Republic and Cameroon, where she assessed the situation of IDPs, refugees and others affected by violence and conflict, with an appeal for greater support from the international community for the humanitarian efforts.

Cameroon faces an increasingly complex and challenging humanitarian situation: a refugee influx in the east from the ongoing conflict in neighbouring Central African Republic (CAR), and a surge of displacements across and within the far northern region due to Boko Haram attacks.

Furthermore, repeated cycles of droughts and floods are resulting in ever greater food insecurity, malnutrition and recurrent epidemics in parts of the country. More than two million people in Cameroon are in need of humanitarian assistance.

Ms. Kang travelled to eastern Cameroon, on the border with CAR, where more than 150,000 Central Africans have sought refuge from the violence in their country in the past year. She visited the Gado refugee camp, one of seven camps set up in the area, where the majority of refugees are women and children. She heard testimonies from refugee representatives about the horrors of their months-long journey in the bush to escape violence.

Many died of exhaustion, disease or at the hands of armed groups. Those who made it to Cameroon were in terrible physical condition and traumatized. Ms. Kang had earlier visited several pockets inside CAR with IDPs who were also in dire need and unwilling to go back home unless security was assured.

Ms. Kang stressed that for Central African IDPs and refugees to feel safe returning to their areas of origin, violence must stop and discrimination against minorities and accountability for violations need to be addressed. Refugees and IDPs have called for reparation and compensation mechanisms to be established for the violence and losses they have suffered.

The ASG called for grass-roots mechanisms to foster reconciliation and mend the sectarian divide that has deepened by the armed conflict that broke out in CAR in December 2013. She reiterated that “enabling women to play a leadership role in their communities is essential to foster reconciliation, recovery and peace”. Ms. Kang was impressed by the generosity and hospitality of Cameroonian national and local authorities as well as host communities who have strived to assist the CAR refugees. With the supportof UN agencies and NGOs, authorities have improved the living conditions of the refugees and the quality of services they receive. Yet the lack of funding is limiting the scope and reach of the humanitarian response.

The ASG also expressed deep concern about the growing impact of attacks by Boko Haram in neighbouring Nigeria and in far northern Cameroon which has prompted some 40,000 Nigerians to seek refuge in Cameroon and displacing tens of thousands of Cameroonians.

“I am particularly concerned by reports of attacks on villages, kidnapping of civilians, recruitment of young men and indoctrination of children,” she said. Insecurity has halted economic activity and harvesting in many areas in the far northern region and is impeding humanitarians from accessing the affected people.

As the first Summit of Heads of States and Governments of the Economic Community of Central African States on security in the region was held 16 February in Yaounde, the ASG reiterated that “efforts to ensure security and provide protection to civilians must be beefed up, and aid organizations must be able to secure greater access to populations in need of assistance”.

Cameroon is also affected by the ongoing food security crisis in the Sahel region which has left more than a million people in need of life-saving food and nutritional assistance. The UN and partners recently launched the Sahel humanitarian appeal for 2015.

The appeal is part of a regional multi-year strategy to respond to the chronic challenges in the region by emphasizing early intervention and forging closer partnerships with Governments and development actors. Investing in areas such as education and youth employment could contribute to reducing the impact of Boko Haram.

In Yaounde, the ASG met with representatives of UN and NGO partners as well as donor representatives. Ms. Kang emphasized that the international community’s support to Cameroon is pivotal to address the multifaceted and complex humanitarian situation and prevent further destabilization of the entire region and to avoid reversing development gains of recent years.

The humanitarian appeal for Cameroon has more than doubled in a year: the 2015 Strategic Response Plan seeks $264 million compared to $126 million in 2014. Ms. Kang appealed to donors to increase contributions to both the Cameroon and the Sahel appeals.