EU gives €3 M humanitarian assistance to Cameroon

The European Union (EU) has given a further €3 million (N717m) in humanitarian aid in response to the growing needs in Cameroon.

The assistance, according to the regional body, was due to the increasing number of refugees from Nigeria in the Far North of the country, as well as to the deteriorating nutritional situation of resident populations in this region.

The new funding, according to EU in a statement issued in Abuja, is beside the earlier €4 million already allocated early January 2015 to address the needs of refugees, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and local populations in the eastern and northern parts of the country.

The statement further stated that “EU humanitarian assistance will be channelled via humanitarian organizations working in the country to provide life-saving medical and nutritional assistance, access to safe water and sanitation services, shelter, food assistance and protection to the people in need.

In addition to its financial contribution, the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department (ECHO) plans to open an office in Yaoundé in March 2015.

This will be expanded into a regional office in the second half of the year 2015, in order to also support humanitarian operations in Central African Republic, Chad and Nigeria.

“We realise the tremendous challenges facing Cameroon due to the influx of refugees and the spill-over of the conflict in Nigeria”, Director of Operations of the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil protection department, Jean-Louis de Brouwer, stated.

“We are demonstrating EU’s solidarity with funds as well as with action by deploying our experts here in Cameroon,” he further said.

Since January 2014, Cameroon has hosted some 137,000 refugees from the Central African Republic who have fled the conflict in their country.

In addition, more than 41,000 Nigerian refugees have sought refuge in the Far North region, escaping violence perpetrated by Boko Haram.

In the past months, Boko Haram has intensified its attacks in the northern part of Nigeria, leading to internal displacement of several thousands of people and aggravating an already alarming humanitarian situation.