More than 9,000 Nigerians, who had crossed to Cameroon where they hope to find refuge, were said to have been denied refuge by Cameroonian authorities following a deadly attack against the town of Rann, in northeast Nigeria.
A statement from Hajer Naili, a roving Regional Communications Adviser Central and West Africa, Head Office / Senegal, stated that the NRC is worried over the violence in the northeast Nigeria that has continued to send thousands fleeing their homes.
The statement added that more worrisome is the denial of refugee status to people fleeing violence from Nigeria’s northeast town of Rann by Cameroon authorities.
The Norwegian Refugee Council, NRC, called for Nigerian and Cameroonian authorities to provide immediate assistance to thousands of Nigerian civilians fleeing violence.
According to NRC, the forced return of civilians to areas of violence is a breach of international and regional agreements, such as the Tripartite Agreement that guarantees the protection of human rights of forcibly displaced persons.
“The authorities on both sides of the border should provide necessary assistance and safety for the displaced people and allow aid workers to assist,” Eric Batonon, Nigeria Country Director of NRC said.
According to him, the Norwegian Refugee Council is deeply concerned by the recent violence.
“Currently, there is no aid organisation left in Rann to make an accurate assessment of the humanitarian needs and of the number of people remaining in the town,” he said
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