Boko Haram shelling Nigeria-Cameroon border as refugees flee conflict

The United Nations refugee agency says Boko Haram insurgents have increased cross-border attacks as they pursue refugees from northern Nigeria who fled into Cameroon, seeking safety. The UNHCR says it is stepping up efforts to move the refugees away from the volatile border to a safer area inland.

The U.N. refugee agency reports around 100 Nigerians are crossing into Cameroon every day. But, it says this does not guarantee their safety. Over the past two weeks, it says cross-border fighting has worsened.

A UNHCR spokesperson said that Boko Haram insurgents, in pursuit of the refugees, are attacking and shelling Cameroonian villages located along the border with Nigeria.

UNHCR staff is urgently trying to move the refugees away from this dangerous border. The agency already has relocated more than 8,600 Nigerians to the Minawao refugee camp over the past two weeks. It is in the process of moving 5,000 others away from the border town of Fotokol.

The UNHCR says it is critical this be done quickly as the refugees are living in absolute fear. Besides these dangers, she says living conditions in Fotokol are dire. Refugees are living in overcrowded classrooms and in makeshift shelters, with no basic facilities or health care and are relying on local authorities and villagers for food.