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Emergency Update: Cameroonian Refugee Situation, Nigeria (1 - 15 August 2018)

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Nigeria
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UNHCR
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326 Cameroonian refugees were relocated to Adagom settlement, Ogoja Local Government Area Cross River state, on 15th August 2018.

Thanks to UNHCR advocacy, seven refugees who were arrested on 7th August have been released.

432 households benefited from the distribution of food and non-food items in the localities of Up Ranch and Utanga, Obanliku Local Government Area, Cross River state.

KEY INDICATORS

25,085 Cameroonian refugees registered with Level 1 and Level 2 registration [as of 14th August 2018]

6,059 Cameroonian refugees registered with biometrics [as of 14th August 2018]

1,941 Cameroonian refugees living in Anyake settlement, Benue state [as of 15th August 2018]

Update On Achievements

■ Relocation – On 15th August, 326 Cameroonian refugees were welcomed by Nigerian Government and traditional authorities, together with UNHCR and its partners to the new refugee settlement of Adagom, (Ogoja Local Government Area, Cross River state). UNHCR and its partners supported their relocation from the border locality of Amana (Obanliku Local Government Area, Cross River State), where they share the limited space and facilities of an abandoned building. 80% of those relocated are women and children. Upon arrival, refugees received food and non-food items including mats, mattress, blankets, buckets, soap, kitchen sets and benefited from temporary shelters, sanitation facilities and water access available at the site. In the coming weeks, they will receive the necessary material and training to build their own shelter, and benefit from basic services that will be reinforced at the benefit of both refugees and local communities. Adagom settlement can host up to 4,000 refugees, other relocations to move refugees from border areas are scheduled for the coming weeks.

■ 68 spontaneous arrivals were recorded in Anyake settlement (Benue state), bringing the total population of Cameroonian refugees living in the settlement up to 1,941 as of 15th August 2018.

■ Protection – During the reporting period, protection monitoring was carried out for Benue state in the border areas of Abande, Ogungu and Etukase and in Anyake settlement by UNHCR and its partner Foundation for Justice Development and Peace (FJDP). 166 cases in need of healthcare have been referred to appropriate structures. Refugees were also sensitized on prevention and response to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and availability of health care services. As a result, three cases of physical assault/abuse were identified and referred to appropriate structures for psychosocial and medical response.

■ On 9th August, UNHCR and its partner Foundation for Justice Development and Peace (FJDP) organised a training on prevention and protection against Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV) for 26 protection volunteers in Anyake settlement (Benue State). The training empowered participants with basic skills on identification and reporting of SGBV cases; prevention measures to adopt; and basic protection principles as respect of confidentiality and Do No Harm.

■ Arbitrary detention – thanks to UNHCR advocacy, seven refugees who were arrested on 7th August have been released.

■ Registration – During the reporting period, UNHCR and National Commission for Refugees (NCFRMI) continued verification and registration of refugees with biometrics (including new arrivals) in the localities of Abo Police, Boki Local Government area, and Up Ranch, Obanliku Local Government area (Cross River state). During the first week of August, 20 new staff from NCRFMI received a training in protection and registration systems before joining the registration team.

■ As of 14th August 2018, 7,619 refugees were verified using ProGres database in six Local Government Areas of Cross River and Benue states (Calabar Municipal, Ikom, Etung, Kwande, Boki and Obanliku), out of 12 currently hosting refugees; and 6,059 of those verified had their biometric data captured. Among the verified population, 3,794 were new arrivals (including new-born babies, new arrivals and people living in remote locations not attended by level 1 registration).

■ 1,372 Cameroonian refugees received their individual identification documents (ID cards) in Cross River and Benue states as of 14th August 2018.

■ Border Monitoring - A joint orientation and protection monitoring visit was conducted in Akwa Ibom state by NCFRMI and UNHCR during the reporting period. Partners active in the area, Rhema Care and Family Care without Borders, also joined the mission.
The team met various persons of concern scattered over seven Local Government Areas. Persons of concern were informed about UNHCR’s mandate, importance of registration, assistance and current relocation exercise to the new site. The findings showed that this is a mixed situation including Nigerian returnees, mixed marriages and refugees.

Communities reported they face challenges including limited access to food and to livelihood opportunities; inadequate access to healthcare services, water and sanitation, educational facilities. There is need to conduct registration to ascertain the status of the persons of concern and determine the proper follow up required.

■ Food and non-food items – A one-week food ration was distributed to 20 households (79 individuals) in the border locality of Abande (Benue state) while they are waiting to be relocated to Anyake settlement. Food (rice, beans, oil, sugar and salt) and non-food items (soap, mattress, detergent, sanitary pads, solar lantern, mat, blanket, kitchen set, jerry can, bucket and mosquito net) were distributed to 132 refugees who arrived spontaneously to Anyake settlement during July and August 2018, as well as to the 1,873 refugees already settled in Anyake.

■ 432 households (1,030 individuals) also benefited from the distribution of food and non-food items in the localities of Up Ranch and Utanga, Obanliku Local Government Area (Cross River state), during the reporting period, with the support of UNHCR partner Rhema Care.

■ Livelihood – A rapid assessment of the livelihood needs of refugees living in Anyake settlement (Kwande Local Government Area, Benue state), and Adagom settlement (Ogoja Local Government Area, Cross River state), was conducted by UNHCR partner MEDIATRIX Development Foundation during the reporting period. Focus group discussions were carried out in the settlements to determine existing skills and interests in order provide refugees with livelihood support.

■ Healthcare – On 6 th August 2018, health care coverage and in-patient care was extended to refugees relocated to the new Adagom settlement. Two nearby Primary Health Centres (PHC Ogboja and PHC Adagom), situated in a range of 7 km from the settlement, were assessed by UNHCR partner Health initiative for Safety and Stability in Africa (HIFASS) beforehand.

■ An autoclave was donated to Primary Health center Igyom (Benue state) by Kwande Local Government Health Authority, after advocacy by UNHCR partner HIFASS. The autoclave will help to sterilize instruments and improve quality of health services provided to both refugees and host community.

■ On 20th August 2018, an awareness raising session was conducted for 150 refugee women on personal hygiene and positive public health practices by UNHCR and its partner HIFASS in Anyake settlement. The sensitization was carried out following an increase in number of cases of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) diagnosed among women of reproductive age in Primary Health Centre Igyom (Benue state). During the session, refugee women were trained on identification and prevention of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease and other diseases including Sexually Transmitted Infections.

■ Water Sanitation and Hygiene - On 5th August 2018, treatment and evacuation of four sewage systems was carried out in Ikom refugee spontaneous settlement (Cross River state), where about 250 refugees reside with the support of UNHCR partner HIFASS. Refugees living in the building provided by the Local Government Area administrator have now access to toilet facilities, improved sanitation and hygiene.

■ During the reporting period, a water treatment unit with three water collection points was completed in Adagom settlement by UNHCR partner Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), to serve recently relocated refugees with drinking water. Moreover, 13 latrine blocks were installed in the settlement, bringing the total number latrine blocks to 17.