The CHRI team wishes you a Holiday Season filled with health, peace, love, and fulfillment. As the war in the Southern Cameroons Regions of Cameroon, unfortunately, continues to escalate, we write to share with your news and updates on the activities CHRI carried out in the past year. We say THANK YOU to all our donors – your generosity allowed us to continue to bring humanitarian relief to victims of this “Anglophone Crisis” and advocacy for a lasting solution during our most challenging year so far, exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. We count on your magnanimity and others to continue this important work.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), as of November 2021, more than two million are in need of relief due to the nearly 5-year-old crisis. Thousands have died and the death toll continues to increase more recently. Violence against civilians and destruction of basic infrastructure, including homes, health facilities, and schools are fueling displacement internally and into other countries, and access to health care and education, are severely limited.

Since its inception, CHRI has carried out over 90 outreaches cumulatively providing humanitarian relief to Southern Cameroons refugees in Nigeria, internally displaced persons in Cameroon and political detainees at the Kondengui Central Prison in Yaounde. This year alone, CHRI successfully raised $18,264.54 and completed 10 outreaches to refugees in Nigeria, 72 bi-weekly prison visits/outreaches to detainees and more than 6 outreaches to IDPs within Cameroon.

OUTREACH TO REFUGEES
Since 2018, in partnership with organizations such as RhemaCare, Tertiary Sisters of Saint Francis in Nigeria and Camdocs UK, we have undertaken outreaches to bring food and other essential supplies to our brothers and sisters who have fled the war in Southern Cameroons to take refuge in Nigeria. For example, on May 8th 2021, we visited refugees in Gembu & Sarduana Communities which constitute the largest and most neglected communities hosting refugees displaced within Taraba state, not covered by the UNHCR. Food items, pregnancy and newborn kits and COVID supplies were provided, and health seminars on basic hygiene and sanitation tips and COVID-19 and HIV care and preventive measures were given.

OUTREACH TO INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS AND POLITICAL DETAINEES
In 2021 we successfully exceeded our 80th outreach to those within the country most affected by the conflict – internally displaced persons and those incarcerated without trial. During these outreaches, we provided food items, basic health supplies including COVID19 prevention items, mother and newborn kits and other basic supplies. For example we conducted outreaches to Bamenda in the Northwest and the decimated town of Muyuka in the Southwest. We also conducted visits to the Kondengui Central Prison in Yaoundé.

ADVOCACY: INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN CAMEROON
CHRI also continued advocacy events to highlight the humanitarian challenges and the need for a lasting solution to the conflict. A virtual webinar titled “International Symposium on the Humanitarian Crisis in Cameroon” took place on Saturday, June 19th, 2021 in partnership with the Institute of Human Rights, University of Alabama (UAB) and other organizations. Panelists evaluated the current responses by the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations in meeting the humanitarian needs in Cameroon and Nigeria and suggested long-term solutions.

FUTURE PLANS
Besides the ongoing pandemic, dwindling funding support was the major challenge faced in 2021. We had to scale back on the number of initiatives accordingly even though the needs increased due to the escalating conflict. With hope to strengthen our funding base in 2022 and coordinate with other organizations to minimize duplication of humanitarian efforts and step-up advocacy efforts towards a resolution of the conflict, we will continue targeted outreach with our partners in Nigeria and Cameroon.

Once again, we thank you for your generosity and sincerely request your continued support of CHRI and the efforts and activities to bring immediate as well as long-term relief to those affected by this war. Visit our website and donate at www.chrelief.org/donate. You can also mail a cheque to CHRI at: 4413 Nuttall Road, Fairfax, VA, 22032. Please contact us at: info@chrelief.org if you would like to discuss other ways to help or support our mission.

DONATE TO CHRI

ABOUT US: CHRI is a registered US 501-3c nonprofit whose goals are to bring emergency humanitarian relief to those affected by the Anglophone crisis and armed conflict in Cameroon (including refugees in Nigeria, internally displaced persons in Cameroon and political prisoners) and to strongly advocate for a speedy resolution of the crisis and stop the senseless loss of lives. CHRI Steering Committee Members: Denis Foretia, MD, MBA (Co-Chair), Alan Tita, MD, PhD (Co-Chair), Judith Nwana, MSc MBA, Rev. Father Wilfred Emeh, Emmanuel Nsutebu, MD, MPH.

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