NIGERIA: Hundreds of evacuees arrive in Abuja after fleeing violence in Central African Republic which has displaced more than 200,000 people in the past few weeks alone
Record ID:
236288
NIGERIA: Hundreds of evacuees arrive in Abuja after fleeing violence in Central African Republic which has displaced more than 200,000 people in the past few weeks alone
- Title: NIGERIA: Hundreds of evacuees arrive in Abuja after fleeing violence in Central African Republic which has displaced more than 200,000 people in the past few weeks alone
- Date: 7th January 2014
- Summary: ABUJA, NIGERIA (JANUARY 06, 2014) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EVACUEES ARRIVING AT CAMP VARIOUS OF LUGGAGE OF EVACUEES VARIOUS OF EVACUEES WAITING FOR VEHICLES TO TAKE THEM TO THEIR VARIOUS STATES REFUGEE WITH BANDAGED EYE SEATED/OTHERS STANDING (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEPUTY DIRECTOR, SEARCH AND RESCUE NATIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (NEMA), VINCENT OWA, SAYING: "So far as we speak on record we have 1,424 evacuees who have been evacuated from the Central African Republic and most of them have been taken to their home states by their individual state governments." BUS PARKED WAITING TO TAKE EVACUEES HOME WOMEN SEATED WITH LUGGAGE WAITING TO BOARD VEHICLES EVACUEES STANDING WAITING TO BE CALLED TO BOARD VEHICLES OLD WOMAN SEATED IN BUS WAITING TO DEPART (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEPUTY DIRECTOR, SEARCH AND RESCUE NATIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (NEMA), VINCENT OWA, SAYING: "So far the situation in camp here where we have evacuees from the Central African Republic is calm and as you can see most states have responded as at today to carry out their citizens to their states." VARIOUS OF REFUGEES LOADING BELONGINGS INTO PARKED TRUCK BUSES DEPARTING CAMP WITH REFUGEES
- Embargoed: 22nd January 2014 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Nigeria
- Country: Nigeria
- Topics: Conflict,International Relations,Politics,People
- Reuters ID: LVAB8TJJQ1U58XOO5OAJ470HEQJB
- Story Text: Nigeria's government has evacuated more than one thousand of its citizens from Central African Republic, with nearly a million people uprooted by violence between Muslim fighters and Christian militias.
Concerned with the worsening situation in the war torn country, Nigeria decided to send aircraft to evacuate many of its citizens.
Violence in Central African Republic has displaced nearly a million people, a fifth of the population, and is hampering aid efforts, particularly in the capital Bangui, the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday (January 03).
The registered evacuees have been placed in a camp within Nigeria's capital, Abuja while government agencies are partnering with state government officials to transport them to their home towns.
On Monday (January 6), Deputy Director, Search and Rescue, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Vincent Owa gave a breakdown of the number of Nigerians that have been rescued.
"So far as we speak on record we have 1,424 evacuees who have been evacuated from the Central African Republic and most of them have been taken to their home states by their individual state governments," he said.
Among the rescued refugees are mainly children, women, the elderly and physically challenged who are being brought into the country by the Defense Headquarters in collaboration with NEMA and Nigerian Immigration Services.
"So far the situation in camp here where we have evacuees from the Central African Republic is calm and as you can see most states have responded as at today to carry out their citizens to their states," the NEMA official added.
A flare-up in violence between Muslim fighters and Christian militias has displaced more than 200,000 people in the past few weeks alone, leaving a total of 935,000 homeless. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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