Selon le HCR, les femmes et les enfants représentent environ 80 % des 10.000 réfugiés qui ont déjà été enregistrés dans l'État de Cross River, au Nigéria. Ces personnes ont fui des opérations de sécurité actuellement en cours dans les régions anglophones du Cameroun. Beaucoup d'autres comptent parmi les milliers de Camerounais non enregistrés, dans les États de Benue, Taraba et Akwa Ibom.
Des enfants - garçons et filles - ont fui seuls vers le Nigéria. Dans l'État de Cross River, le HCR et ses partenaires ont enregistré des dizaines d'enfants non accompagnés et séparés de leur famille. Ils sont particulièrement affectés par les effets du déplacement : les difficultés d'accès à la nourriture et le manque de moyens de subsistance.
De l'autre côté de la frontière, le personnel du HCR a reçu des signalements d'enfants contraints de travailler ou de mendier, pour survivre ou pour aider leurs familles. « Cela affecte leur scolarisation, car ils manquent à la fois de temps et d'argent », a fait remarquer un porte-parole du HCR William Spindler, lors d'un point de presse ce vendredi à Genève. Bien que l'école au Nigéria soit gratuite, il faut toutefois ajouter des dépenses liées, par exemple, au matériel scolaire.
Selon M. Spindler, le HCR travaille avec les autorités nigérianes pour aider à la réunification des enfants séparés avec leurs familles, pour fournir aux enfants non accompagnés des prestations ciblées en matière de protection et pour rétablir le droit fondamental de tous les enfants à l'éducation. Certains enfants arrivant au Nigéria ont signalé au HCR qu'ils n'avaient pas été scolarisés au Cameroun pendant toute l'année scolaire 2016-17.
Pour les femmes, le manque de travail associé à des structures d'accueil surchargées augmente le risque de violence sexuelle et sexiste, et particulièrement le recours à la prostitution de survie. Mais selon M. Spindler, seul un nombre limité de ces cas a toutefois été enregistré, principalement dans la communauté d'Amana de l'État de Cross River.
Le HCR s'inquiète toutefois du fait que de nombreux autres cas sont passés sous silence ou ne sont signalés qu'aux responsables communautaires. Des cas de violence domestique, ainsi que de grossesses précoces concernant des jeunes filles de 14 ans à peine, ont également été signalés dans l'État de Cross River.
Dans l'État de Benue - où deux bâtiments scolaires ont été alloués par les autorités à l'hébergement temporaire des réfugiés - des femmes et leurs familles sont obligées de dormir à l'intérieur des salles d'école communales, sans espace privé et ni aucun droit à la dignité familiale. Pour ces personnes - et pour les réfugiés qui se trouvent dans des tentes temporaires établies à la hâte à proximité des habitations de la communauté locale - il est essentiel de disposer d'abris décents pour garantir la procédure d'enregistrement, les distributions systématiques d'aide et la réduction des risques en matière de protection.
Dans ces conditions, le HCR œuvre actuellement avec les autorités nigérianes pour identifier des sites plus éloignés de la frontière, où les réfugiés peuvent être hébergés conformément aux normes internationales. L'agence onusienne met également en place des bureaux permanents à Calabar et Adikpo, afin de mieux aider et protéger les femmes et les enfants. L'assistance du Haut-Commissariat comprend des vivres, des articles de première nécessité, des soins de santé, de l'eau potable et des installations sanitaires.
S'il se félicite de l'immense générosité des communautés frontalières nigérianes, qui ouvrent leurs portes aux réfugiés camerounais, le HCR appelle les autorités nigérianes à continuer d'accorder l'asile aux personnes qui fuient pour sauver leur vie et de répondre à leurs besoins essentiels, en collaboration avec la communauté internationale.
La quasi-totalité des Camerounais enregistrées au Nigéria ont déclaré avoir quitté leurs domiciles en raison de l'insécurité et qu'ils ne rentreraient chez eux que lorsque la sécurité sera rétablie dans leur région d'origine.
Source: http://www.un.org/apps/newsFr/storyF.asp?NewsID=40802#.WmUNlCUiG1s
More flee Cameroon’s English-speaking areas; UN concerned over safety of women and children
19 January 2018 – As swelling numbers of people flee English-speaking areas of Cameroon for Nigeria, the United Nations on Friday expressed concern over the precarious situation of women and children, which make now up about 80 per cent of the approximately 10,000 registered refugees in eastern Nigeria’s Cross River state.
“Some of these are boys and girls who fled to Nigeria alone,” William Spindler, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) told reporters at the regular press briefing in Geneva, adding that unaccompanied and separated children are particularly vulnerable.
“UNHCR has received numerous reports that children have to work or beg to survive or to help their families,” he added.
Many reported that they were unable to attend school, for lack of time and money. Thousands more are among the population of unregistered Cameroonians in neighbouring states, where some of the children are unaccompanied and vulnerable.
“UNHCR is working with the Nigerian authorities to assist with the reunification of separated children with their families, to provide unaccompanied children with protection services and to restore the basic right of all children to education,” Mr. Spindler said.
Some of the children fleeing to Nigeria told UNHCR that they had been out of school in Cameroon for all of 2017.
“For women, the lack of work combined with the over-stretched reception facilities, creates a higher risk of sexual and gender-based violence, particularly from survival sex,” he continued.
While only a limited number of cases have been recorded, mainly in the Amana community of Cross River state, UNHCR is concerned that many more go unreported or are referred only to community elders.
“Incidents of domestic violence, as well as cases of teenage pregnancies involving girls as young as 14, have also been reported,” the spokesperson elaborated.
In Nigeria’s Benue state, two school buildings are serving as temporary refugee accommodations, where women and their families sleep inside communal school halls – deprived of private space and the right to family dignity.
“For them, and for the rest of the population living in temporary tents hastily built next to local residences, sufficient and appropriate shelter is key to ensure adequate registration, systematic aid distribution and reduced protection risks,” Mr. Spindler underscored.
UNHCR and the Nigerian authorities are currently working to identify sites away from the border, where the refugees can live according to international standards.
“We are also establishing offices in the towns of Calabar and Adikpo to better provide assistance and protection to the women and children,” he said, noting that support includes food, basic relief items, water and sanitation facilities.
Since mid-2017, Cameroon’s Anglophone regions have seen demonstrations as tensions have mounted over what the country’s English-speakers see as discrimination against them in favour of the majority French-speaking population.
Source: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=58447#.WmUOVCUiG1u
“Some of these are boys and girls who fled to Nigeria alone,” William Spindler, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) told reporters at the regular press briefing in Geneva, adding that unaccompanied and separated children are particularly vulnerable.
“UNHCR has received numerous reports that children have to work or beg to survive or to help their families,” he added.
Many reported that they were unable to attend school, for lack of time and money. Thousands more are among the population of unregistered Cameroonians in neighbouring states, where some of the children are unaccompanied and vulnerable.
“UNHCR is working with the Nigerian authorities to assist with the reunification of separated children with their families, to provide unaccompanied children with protection services and to restore the basic right of all children to education,” Mr. Spindler said.
Some of the children fleeing to Nigeria told UNHCR that they had been out of school in Cameroon for all of 2017.
“For women, the lack of work combined with the over-stretched reception facilities, creates a higher risk of sexual and gender-based violence, particularly from survival sex,” he continued.
While only a limited number of cases have been recorded, mainly in the Amana community of Cross River state, UNHCR is concerned that many more go unreported or are referred only to community elders.
“Incidents of domestic violence, as well as cases of teenage pregnancies involving girls as young as 14, have also been reported,” the spokesperson elaborated.
In Nigeria’s Benue state, two school buildings are serving as temporary refugee accommodations, where women and their families sleep inside communal school halls – deprived of private space and the right to family dignity.
“For them, and for the rest of the population living in temporary tents hastily built next to local residences, sufficient and appropriate shelter is key to ensure adequate registration, systematic aid distribution and reduced protection risks,” Mr. Spindler underscored.
UNHCR and the Nigerian authorities are currently working to identify sites away from the border, where the refugees can live according to international standards.
“We are also establishing offices in the towns of Calabar and Adikpo to better provide assistance and protection to the women and children,” he said, noting that support includes food, basic relief items, water and sanitation facilities.
Since mid-2017, Cameroon’s Anglophone regions have seen demonstrations as tensions have mounted over what the country’s English-speakers see as discrimination against them in favour of the majority French-speaking population.
Source: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=58447#.WmUOVCUiG1u
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