CAMEROON
FEVER OUTBREAK CLAIMS 16 CHILDREN SINCE JANUARY
An eruption of fever and skin rash has sickened 43 children and caused 16 deaths in Cameroon’s Far North region since the start of the year. The cases are mainly infants younger than three years and reported in six health districts in the region. Symptoms include persistent fever, skin lesions and anaemia. Treatment, increase of surveillance and active search of patients within the communities are being undertaken as part of the response.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
THOUSANDS OF DISPLACED RELOCATE FROM UN BASE
Thousands of people forced to flee violence in the northern Kaga Bandoro town last year are gradually returning to a site for the displaced that had been established but remained empty due to the unrest. As of 9 March, 3,051 displaced people had settled at the Lazare site after relocating from shelters near the UN peacekeeping mission’s base in the town.
Registration and profiling of the displaced people has been ongoing despite restriction of movement owing to insecurity.
DR CONGO
OVER 300 FAMILIES DISPLACED BY VIOLENCE IN TANGANYIKA
Some 310 families arrived in Kalonda Kibuyu in the eastern Maniema province between 1 and 8 March from neighbouring Tanganyika province where they fled intercommunity clashes that broke out in February. They add to some 640 households who also fled incursions by armed men within Maniema.
Humanitarian actors are planning a mission to assess the needs.
NIGERIA
MORE THAN 22,400 RETURNEES REGISTERED IN DAMASAK TOWN
As of 9 March, the National Emergency Management Agency and the Nigerian Immigration Service have registered more than 22,400 Nigerian refugees returning from neighbouring Niger. In recent weeks, around 100 returnees have been arriving daily in Damasak town in Nigeria’s north-eastern Borno state. More refugees are expected to arrive in the coming weeks following the signing on 2 March of a tripartite agreement between Nigeria,
Cameroon and UNHCR on the voluntary return of Nigerian refugees in Cameroon. An inter-sector rapid assessment was conducted in Damasak on 10 March to prepare assistance to the new arrivals.
MALI
RIGHTS EXPERT URGES BETTER HUMANITARIAN ACCESS
Serious security threats in northern and central parts of Mali are putting civilians at risk and hampering their access to basic social services, UN independent human rights expert Suliman Baldo said on 9 March.
He called on the signatories of the June 2015 peace agreement to continue fulfilling their commitments and ensure unhindered humanitarian access to the affected population and the protection of humanitarian personnel and their operations.