Attachments
A resurgence in inter-communal violence in Cameroon’s Far North region has forced over 80,000 persons to flee to neighbouring Chad, while over 15,000 are displaced within the country.
Humanitarian access to affected populations in Far North Cameroon remains difficult. Both those internally displaced and the refugees in Chad have an urgent need for core relief items such as blankets, food, healthcare support, shelter and protection.
UNHCR has declared a Level 2 emergency in Chad. It is rapidly scaling its operations to assist affected populations in Cameroon and newly arrived refugees in Chad.
Operational Context
Population movements and political and security situation in Far North Cameroon
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Clashes between communities of herders, farmers and fishermen broke out on 5 December in the village of Ouloumsa. Violence quickly spread to neighbouring villages before reaching Kousseri, the region’s major city (‘chef-lieu’), on 8 December. 112 villages were burned, over 100 people were wounded and 44 died.
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As of 13 December 2021, 82,637 persons are reported to have arrived in Chad after fleeing these inter-communal clashes in Far North Cameroon. In addition, at least 15,215 persons are internally displaced within the Far North Cameroon region.
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Previous inter-communal clashes had taken place in August this year. At the time, some 23,000 people had been displaced across Cameroon and Chad. 8,500 refugees had since remained in Chad, but their repatriation into Cameroon was at an advanced stage of discussion between the two countries when the new clashes broke out.
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As of 13 December, the situation is relatively calm again in the affected areas of the Far North. Some villages are empty, while in others shops have re-opened and life resumed its course. However, tensions remain high between the communities involved, and it is not currently possible to predict whether the newfound calm will be durable.