The Secretary General of Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Jan Egeland; has said that Cameroon, Nigeria and eight other African countries are world’s neglected crises. According to him, Cameroon is the world’s most neglected crisis for the second year running. Egeland in a statement Wednesday in Maiduguri, Borno state, disclosed: “Africa is home to 10 of world’s crises with African countries topping the list in last five years. “Cameroon, DR Congo and Burkina Faso are the most neglected displacement crises in the world.” He said Africa is home to nine of 10 of the world’s most neglected crises, with African nations topping the list last five years. “Cameroon is the world’s most neglected crisis for a second year,” said the NRC new report released today (Wednesday). “Cameroon was followed by DR Congo, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Venezuela, Mali, South Sudan, Nigeria, Central African Republic and Niger,” he said. On the most affected countries of crises, he said: “Four countries in Africa’s Sahel featured on the list, and we explain why the Sahel region of Africa was a mega-crisis in 2019.” “Every year, NRC presents a list of displacement crises the world has neglected.” Egeland; therefore; in the report; attributed the neglected crises to lack of political will, media attention and international aid. He noted that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic will compound the hardship already faced by many of these countries, as most of them have weak health systems and are unable to handle another emergency. “Four countries in Africa’s Sahel featured on the list, and we explain why the Sahel region of Africa was a mega-crisis in 2019,” he said. According to him, Africa is home to nine of ten of the world’s most neglected crises. While lamenting crises neglected countries, he said: “Cameroon, DR Congo and Burkina Faso are the most neglected displacement crises in the world. This is according to NRC’s annual list launched today (Wednesday). “The deep crises represented by millions of displaced Africans are yet again the most underfunded, ignored and deprioritized in the world.” Continued; “They are plagued by diplomatic and political paralysis, weak aid operations and little media attention. “Despite facing a tornado of emergencies, their SOS calls for help fall on deaf ears.” He warned that humanitarian crises in these countries are expected to worsen throughout 2020, compounded by the global coronavirus pandemic that is adding further hardship to millions. On how COVID-19 fuels the neglected crises, Egeland said: “COVID-19 is spreading across Africa, and many of the most neglected communities are already devastated by the economic shocks of the pandemic. We need solidarity with these conflict-stricken communities now more than ever, so the virus does not add more unbearable disaster to the myriad of crises they already face.” He said there are three separate emergencies facing the African nations. He said this include the exacerbation of Boko Haram attacks in the north and violent conflict in the English-speaking West, and a Central African refugee crisis. He said Cameroon’s ineffective conflict resolution, global news silence and a massive aid funding shortfall all contributed to the country topping this year’s list.
