The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is launching an emergency appeal for 2.6 million Swiss francs (US$ 2.3 million / € 1.6 million) to support the Cameroon Red Cross Society in assisting 10,000 refugees for the next six months. Early recovery activities and transition support will also be conducted for a further 6 months.

"A very large humanitarian operation is under way but further help from the international community is needed to assist thousands of refugees still staying in Cameroon," says Niels Scott, the International Federation's Operations Coordinator for Africa, who is currently in the border town of Kousseri. "The situation is serious in terms of health but also for water and sanitation. Urgent action is being taken to prevent disease outbreaks. Also, another influx of refugees is always possible depending on the security situation in Chad so we need to be ready to react immediately if needed," he adds.

The Cameroon Red Cross Society has mobilized more than 60 volunteers and staff in Kousseri who are assisting refugees, and helping with the distribution of food and other emergency relief items. More items sent by the International Federation are also being distributed. Volunteers will also be involved in the voluntary relocation of refugees to another site located in Maltam, about 30 km from Kousseri planned for later this week.

The money raised by the appeal will provide health services for refugees, including the deployment of a basic health care unit in Maltam. Sufficient water and sanitation will also be provided both to the refugees and host populations in Kousseri and in the Maltam camp where 500 latrines will be built. Cameroon Red Cross volunteers will also provide support in a vaccination campaign carried out by other organizations targeting 253,000 persons for meningitis, 55,000 persons for measles and 46,000 people for polio.

On February 5, the International Federation released 300,000 Swiss francs (US$ 277,000 / € 186,000) from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to support the Cameroon Red Cross Society in Kousseri in its immediate response to the crisis.

For further information, to set up interviews in Kousseri, please contact:

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