WFP provides food to Nigerian refugees in Cameroon

Despite the insecurity and logistical challenges, the World Food Programme (WFP) provides humanitarian assistance to the Nigerian refugees who are in Cameroon, learned Friday from the WFP.

Since May, about 8,000 Nigerians fled districts of Adamaoua, Yobe and Borno where 200 Nigerian students were abducted last April.

They have left behind their homes burned down and fled to the North of Cameroon, often for their lives. Local communities have provided them with food and shelter, but food stocks are dwindling fast and most of the newcomers are already malnourished.

"Local authorities have done their best to help but these refugees urgently need food and assistance. We found alarming levels of malnutrition, especially among children.

It is a priority for WFP and its humanitarian partners", said Jacques Roy, WFP's representative in Cameroon.

WFP also purchased stocks of special purpose nutritional foods to local clinics to combat malnutrition and plan to distribute these foods to all children under five and pregnant and lactating women among the refugees, in order to prevent malnutrition.

On top the UN Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said about 650,000 people were displaced in Adamawa and Yobe and Borno where attacks by armed groups are the most frequent and where, therefore, there is the largest number of families forced to flee their homes.