This starvation bout affects about 4000 refugees in Taraba
Starvation has hit Cameroonian refugees camp in Taraba state as over 4000 refugees, mostly women and children, presently suffered from lack of basic human necessities like food, drugs and shelter.
The refugees lamented their ordeals that their country is not safe for them to return home.
“It seems we’re trapped between the cliff and the well,” they said.
They appealed for support from the Nigerian government, international donors and well-spirited individuals.
A refugee in one of the camps – Dominique Amah said: “Life has not been easy with us, especially concerning food, health situation; even to go to the toilet is a problem here and many children have been infected with water-borne diseases, like cholera here.
He added: “Despite that, we want to appreciate the Chairman of Kurmi Local Government, because they brought some assistance to us. But as Oliver Twist says, ‘it is not enough’.
He called for humanitarian assistance from international organisations, such as WHO, UNICEF and NGOs, “because we are really suffering.”
The chairman of Kurmi Local Government – Hassan Karma in his statement said the state and local governments could no longer cope with the situation at hand.
He said Nigerian Red Cross was contacted and as well relayed the matter to the Executive Governor of Taraba State who he ordered the State Emergency Management Agency to send in food relief materials to supplement the hardship.
Mr Hassan said the state governor “also ordered the Commissioner of Health to supply drugs and I personally distributed the drugs to the refugees. But I can confirm to you that Taraba State alone cannot bear this burden.”
Taraba State, which continues to receive refugees from the the troubled English Speaking Southern Cameroon, borders Cameroon Republic from the south-western axis.
In October 2017, a number of pro-independence leaders exiled themselves to neighbouring Nigeria. There, they established the provisional government of Ambazonia, the name under which they hoped independent southern Cameroon would be known.
47 of the leaders, including President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe, were arrested and extradited to Cameroon, where they are held in custody while their trial is pending