150 Borno refugees perish in CMR border camp

Authorities of Ngala Local Government Area in Borno state has on Thursday said that over 150 displaced persons died at the Fotokol border resettlement camp in Cameroon from diarrhea, malaria and other water borne diseases, as medication and healthcare services could not be accessed in the camp.

The deaths, according to Ngala council senior officer, who did not want his name mentioned for security reason, commenced five days after resettling over 10, 000 Gambouru/Ngala fleeing residents at the Fotokol Primary School, while others took refuge under tree sheds and makeshift shacks.

"After the Boko Haram multiple attacks last month in Gambouru/Ngala, many of our people, including women and children fled across the bridge into Cameroon for safety, most of them trekked to border villages, before the Cameroonian authorities gave us Fotokol Primary School and some makeshifts as temporary accommodation.

Two weeks after the attacks, the Borno state government responded by delivering relief materials of 2, 500 bags of rice, cooking oil, salt and a few plastic mats for the surging refugees in Fotokol border town."