As part of celebrations marking the 2023 World Refugee Day on Tuesday, June 20, the UNHCR Representative in Cameroon, Olivier Guillaume Beer, drew the attention of Cameroonians on the role refugees play in each community, calling on the population to treat them the same as any other citizen.
Mr. Olivier Guillaume told Cameroonians “I think it is important, if we’re talking about improving the livelihood of refugees, that we transition from the emergency response to development activities.”
He indicated that refugees as well as host communities “need to have access to health, education, to documentation and to all the rights that you and I are enjoying.” The UNHCR Representative noted that there is a key role that refugees play.
In prelude to the celebrations on Tuesday, several activities were carried out including the organization of walks, football matches and sensitization campaigns across the country.
An estimated 500,000 refugees live in Cameroon.