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The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is transporting 20 tonnes of non food items to help the Chadian refugees in Northern Cameroon. Two planes and two lorries are carrying blankets, mats, insecticide-treated mosquito nets, hygiene articles and a water treatment unit from Yaounde to Kousseri, where thousands of Chadian refugees are in need of immediate assistance.
With support from the International Federation, some 150 volunteers from Cameroon and Chad Red Cross National Societies have been mobilized to ensure distribution of emergency goods. They will also assist UNICEF and World Food Programme (WFP) in the distribution of water and food to the refugees. The local Red Cross committee in Northern Cameroon will be provided with first aid kits and stretchers.
Thousands of people have fled the fighting which broke out last weekend between rebel and Chad government forces. Despite the fact that some people are returning to Chad, an estimated 30,000 refugees are still staying in Kousseri, Northern Cameroon near the Chadian border.
"People are sleeping under the trees all over the town. They are in urgent need of shelter, clean drinking water and sanitation facilities", explains Mamadou Saliou Diallo, regional operations manager for the International Federation who is currently in Kousseri. "Our volunteers have started building 500 latrines in order to avoid serious health problems", he adds.
The Cameroon government has given authorization to set up refugee camps in Maltam, 33 km from Kousseri. At least 15,000 tents will be needed before the refugees can be transferred there.
On February 5, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies released 300 000 Swiss francs (US$ 272,000 / 185 000) from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to support Cameroon Red Cross Society in its operation to help refugees from Chad.
For further information, to set up interviews in Kousseri, please contact:
In Kousseri/Cameroon
Jean-Jack Kouoh, Information Officer, Tel: + 237 96298792
In Dakar
Noora Kero, Communication Manager, West-Central Africa, Tel: + 221 77 637 66 96
Moustapha Diallo, Information Officer,
Tel + 221 77 450 10 04
In Geneva
Jean-Luc Martinage, Media Officer for Africa Tel: + 41 22 730 42 96 / + 41 79 217 33 86
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
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