No fewer than 194,000 Nigerians displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East and seeking refuge in Cameroon and Niger have been issued eviction notice, Governor Kashim Shettima disclosed in Abuja on Tuesday.
The deportation of the refugees will definitely put further strain on the capacity of the state government to cater for displaced people.
According to the governor, authorities in Cameroon and Niger said that they can no longer afford to continue to care for the refugees.
The governor, who was speaking at an event on how to rebuild the state after over seven years of the bloody insurgency, said that the state already caters for 1.7 million internally displaced persons in Maiduguri and another 70,000 in Gwoza.
“The real support we need is for the 1.7 million people within Maiduguri, the 70,000 people living in host community in Gwoza and several other locations. Even our people that are in Cameroon have been given eviction notice. The Cameroonian authorities are no longer keen in taking care of them.
“There are 56,000 Nigerians, largely from Gwoza and Bama local governments. We have about 138,000 Nigerians in Niger Republic, they also face eviction. We really have food crisis and we need the support of all and sundry,” he said.
He said the government is being stretched beyond its limits to provide for the displaced people already.
“As we speak, we are battling with a crisis of feeding mass of humanity in Borno.
“The military has succeeded in rescuing communities that were trapped due to the presence of Boko Haram insurgents on certain routes.
“This cheering rescue has led to mass exodus of internally displaced persons from these trapped communities to emergency camps we had to establish.
“In Borno today, about 1,800 bags of 50 kilograms of rice which constitutes three trailers of 600 bags each, is required daily to cater for IDPs across the state and this does not include ingredients like tomatoes, vegetable oil, beans to balance carbohydrate, onions, salt and other elements.
“For our regular camps, a total of 984 bags of rice is consumed daily based on a Data Tracking Matrix of the International Organisation on Migration working with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Borno State Emergency Management Agency.
“This figure of 978 bags is for the camps in Maiduguri and Jere, Dikwa, Bama and Damboa. For Maiduguri and Jere, 787 bags of rice are consumed daily for the 152,000 displaced persons in 17 camps and two relief points at Madinatu and Muna Garrage where distribution of food items are made to IDPs living outside camps in Maiduguri. For Dikwa, which has 75,000 displaced persons, 101 bags are required daily.
“Bama requires 50 bags daily for 32,000 displaced persons while Damboa requires 40 bags daily. These are as per the Data Tracking Matrix of the International Organisation on Migration.”
Source: The New Telegraph
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