Refugees flood Cross River communities

Following the closure of Cameroon border, over six thousand refugees are currently being harbored in Utanga, Amana and other communities in Obanliku and Boki local government areas of Cross River State.

These communities have mobilised their resources to carter for the needs of the people such as food and shelter as they arrived in batches.

The Nigerian Tribune who was in some of the communities of Utanga and Amana communities reported that the people were facing socio economic challenges as they lacked the basic needs such as foods, shelter and beddings.

Highly affected were the most vulnerable, women and children who made up about 80 per cent of the population.

Over fifty pregnant women among the refugees lacked medical care as the few facilities in the community had either been over stretched or the asylum seekers did not have the financial capability to access them.

Sick children and others who were sick were finding it difficult to cope with the situation as many of them were seen looking pale and weak with feverish condition.

It was also observed that most household in the community accommodated ten to twenty refugees thereby overstretching the available facilities. As a result of the influx, the available toilet facilities could no longer serve them, thus creating an environment for epidemic such as cholera.

Though the community leaders said that they were happy to provide for the refugees, the facilities have been overstretched and would require immediate assistance from relevant authorities.

In an interview, the clan head of Utanga, Chief Joseph Suhumba said that they were host to over one thousand refugees and that the communities had over stressed themselves with the provision of the basic need for the refugees.

Chief Suhumba said that over Two million, five hundred thousand naira have already been incurred by the community for the past two weeks in caring for them and urged the state government to take over the management of the people.

According to him the influx of the people which is increasing by the day required compensative medical assessment and treatment, shelter, food and non-food items such as mattresses, beddings, towels, toiletries and other sundry needs.

Mr. Toko Zacharia, the former post master of Akwaya who is an asylum seeker, said that he had been in Utanga for about two weeks following an alleged plan by the Cameroonians authorities to arrest him over his involvement in the agitation for independent of the southern Cameroon.

A refugee Mr. Abia Hillary said that he spent several days in the bush without food and that he was lucky to drink from springs which abound in the hills and valley of Cameroon.

He however, lamented the where about of his family who may also be haunted following his escape adding he had not heard from them for the past one month.

Another refugee, Agba Christopher said that he was the lucky one among so many youths in Akwaya community in Cameroon who were allegedly killed by the Cameroonian soldiers.

Mr. Agba commended the people of Nigeria for their hospitality in spite of the obvious challenges of shelter, food and medical attention.

Mrs. Grace Ifemi, a mother of two said that the attack of her village by the Cameroon forces created panic which prompted the escape of the people of the community.

Speaking in tears, she said that she was able to escape with one child and her mother while the whereabouts of the husband and the other child were unknown.

She complain of inadequate food and shelter and that the benevolence of the people of Utanga had been very helpful but wondered how long the community would sustain the goodness.

The Nigerian Tribune observed that over one hundred pupils and students who escaped from Cameroon with their parents have been admitted into some schools in the area.

A former student of government high school, Akwaya, Miss. Fatima Tor, (13) now schooling in Emirem International Academy, Utanga, Obanliku said she was happy to be safe in Nigeria but feared for the lives of her parents who are missing.

In a chat with the Nigerian Tribune, the director general, Cross River State emergency management agency, SEMA Mr. John Inaku said that the state government was abreast with the challenges of the refugees and assured that the collaboration with the united nation agencies would bring succor to the people.

He commended the host communities for their magnanimity and called for sustenance.