Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Agenzia Fides) - An action plan for displaced persons and refugees from the violence of Boko Haram will be discussed during the meeting promoted by Caritas Internationalis in Rome which begins today and will end tomorrow, March 27th.
According to a statement sent to Agenzia Fides "in the past year, more than a million Nigerians have fled fanatically violent attacks by the Islamic militant group Boko Haram. Spilling over into neighbouring countries, these displaced families have relied on Catholic Church and other aid groups for basic necessities like shelter, food and medicine".
"The terror and suffering that the people of Nigeria have experienced is extreme", said Caritas Nigeria Executive Director Father Evaristus Bassey, who will attend the Rome meeting. "We at Caritas, along with other people of goodwill, are doing our best (…). But the needs are staggering".
In Nigeria and surrounding countries like Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, Caritas and Catholic dioceses are helping the displaced. More than 2500 people are staying at a camp at Saint Theresa Cathedral in Yola, Nigeria, with thousands more sheltering in church buildings around the Country. Recently, Catholic bishops in Cameroon appealed to Nigeria’s bishops for help responding to the needs of tens of thousands of Nigerian refugees who fled to their country (see Fides 10/03/2015).
The Rome meeting will include Caritas representatives from Cameroon, Niger, and Chad, and during the meeting the plight of the 800,000 displaced persons and refugees from the Central African Republic will also be addressed. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 26/03/2015)
