Boko Haram: 160, 000 Nigerians take refuge in Niger, Chad, Cameroon

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has disclosed that about 160,000 Nigerians have fled the north eastern parts of the country seeking refuge in neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon.



This was contained in a statement signed by Kori Habib, UNFPA Media Associate in Nigeria as part of activities to mark the 2015 World Population Day scheduled for July 11.

The statement indicated that Nigeria would join the rest of the world to commemorate the World Population Day with the theme: “Vulnerable population in emergencies”.

According to the statement, the theme of the 2015 world population day is of crucial relevance and timely to Nigeria.

“Nigeria has about 1.5 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) largely due to communal conflicts and insurgencies in the north eastern part.

“The majority of the IDPs are women, children and elderly and 52 per cent of the IDPs are estimated to be children under the age of 18 years,” the statement said.

The statement lamented the vulnerable population in emergencies were exposed to series of protection risks and threats that included forced labour, physical abuse, torture abductions and forceful conscription.

“The insurgents also subject them to forced conscription, sexual and gender based violence as well as poor living condition and debilitating poverty,” Habib said in the statement.

It said that UNFPA, partners and stakeholders would use the occasion to sensitise the populace on the plight of the IDPs, also elicit commitment from government in addressing their needs.

As part of the activities for the commemoration of the day, UNFPA, National Population Commission and other stakeholders will visit some IDP camps in the FCT.

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