Nigerians in IDPs camp in Cameroon are traumatized-U.S. envoy

Fifty eight thousand Nigerians in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Cameroon are traumatized, the U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Ms Samantha Power, has said.

Power made the statement on Thursday in Abuja when she led a delegation from the U.S to visit the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama.

The envoy was in Nigeria and other West African countries to highlight the growing threat posed by Boko Haram.

“We visited IDPs camp in Cameroon that included 58,000 Nigerians; they are so traumatized; every possession has been taken from them.

“We also met some 170,000 Cameroonians internally displaced people; the damaging effects of Boko Haram activities in Nigeria has now spilled over to neighbouring countries,” she said.

The envoy expressed concern on the number of Nigerians who had crossed the border to seek refuge in neighbouring countries due to Boko Haram attacks.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Power had earlier announced U.S. donation of additional 40 million dollars in humanitarian aid for victims of Boko Haram attack in the Lake Chad region.

She said that about seven million people in the region were displaced, deprived and plagued by disease as a result of armed conflict in Nigeria.

She said that due to the prolonged crisis, communities who have hosted IDPs had exhausted their resources and find themselves struggling to make ends meet.

Power said that President, Barack Obama had sent a 42-member high-power delegation to Nigeria in support of the three priority areas of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

She described Nigeria as a `strategic partner’ to the U.S. not only in Africa but globally.

She said that the delegation would reflect on the three pillars of the Buhari’s administration which are security, economy and governance.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, commended the commitment of the U.S in the ongoing efforts of the Buhari-led administration in spite of its current challenges.

“We cannot thank you enough, taking time off your extremely busy schedule to come and see firsthand, the problems or the challenges that we are facing in this regard,” he said.

The minister said that the delegation was not in Nigeria because of the Boko Haram insurgency alone, but the whole issues of security, governance and the economy.