ShelterBox is currently sending 224 ShelterBoxes to the north of Cameroon. The contents will provide shelter and other essential aid to people who have fled neighbouring Nigeria as a result of conflict.
Around 66,000 people have sought refuge in Cameroon following conflict relating to the armed opposition group Boko Haram so far, but there aren’t enough resources to shelter everyone.
The contents of our ShelterBoxes will not only provide families with durable tents, but other items, such as blankets and cooking utensils to help them regain a sense of normality.
Unfortunately, the areas in which this aid is needed are incredibly unstable, which is why ShelterBox is working in partnership with aid agency International Emergency and Development Aid (IEDA Relief) to distribute our aid. IEDA Relief is an organisation that focuses on international development and humanitarian assistance, and has been working to support refugees in Cameroon since September 2014.
ShelterBox has sent a team, made up of Todd Finklestone (US) and Ryan Schaafsma (US) to Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, to carry out training sessions with IEDA relief on how to use our ShelterBox equipment. They have also shared ShelterBox’s values and methods of distributing aid, to ensure that people receive that same standard of care that we always give.
Watch this time-lapse video showing our partners at IEDA Relief learning how to put up and take down our ShelterBox tents.
The ShelterBoxes will arrive in Cameroon next week and will be distributed in the area of Minawao in the Extreme North region of the country.