Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The United Nations High Commission for Refugee (UNHCR) has expressed dismay over the fresh displacement of 320,000 people in Borno State and the flight of thousands of refugees into Cameroon and Chad.
UNHCR Regional Representative for West Africa, Regional Refugee Coordinator for the Nigeria Situation, Liz Kpam Ahua, disclosed this her opening remarks, at the ongoing 2nd Regional Protection Dialogue on the Lake Chad Basin in Abuja.
The UN agency further lamented that the humanitarian crisis which rocked Cameroon resulted in over 35,000 refugees who flooded into Benue, Taraba and Cross River.
“Two-and-half years after the first Regional Protection Dialogue, a significant amount of work has been done to advance the commitments that we took here with delegations from Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria.
“Despite this progress, however, we are equally going to learn that the Lake Chad Basin continues to face a protection crisis across the four countries. While we acknowledge the deliberate and concerted efforts of the four countries of the LCB to bring the BH crisis to an end and while recognizing the successes achieved by military operations that have led to the recovery of local government areas in north-eastern Nigeria that had been hitherto occupied by Boko Haram, we are dismayed to witness new displacement of people in Borno State and the flight of thousands more into Cameroon and Chad.”