CAR refugee camp opening ceremony
An official ceremony was held in January 2015 to mark the opening of a camp set up by Islamic Help in Cameroon for refugees from the Central African Republic.
The facility started taking refugees in October 2014 and on completion housed 200 families (approx. 1,500 individuals) who have fled the ethno-religious violence in CAR. Many have lost their families, relatives, homes and livelihoods in the conflict.
The refugee camp, at Garoua Boulai, provides living shelters, cooking and sanitation facilities, solar-powered lighting, a school and a mosque. Each family has its own living quarters and children have been enrolled in the school to ensure they do not miss out on education during their formative years.
Local government and community officials joined Islamic Help and its partners for the opening ceremony at which they were given a tour of the camp and met some of the refugee families.
The facility is a partnership between Islamic Help, which was represented by its CEO Saif Ahmad at the ceremony, the Islamic Development Bank and the Centre Culturel Des Musulmans Pour Le Developpement (CCMUD).
As well as the camp in Cameroon, the partnership is also behind a similar-sized complex in Yelwa in the Central African Republic itself which will house 1,500 internally displaced people. This project went ahead with the consent of the anti-Balaka - the Christian militia group which has been targeting Muslims in CAR - and will house Muslim and non-Muslims internally displaced by the conflict.
Support us in helping the refugees of CAR. #iiHelpCAR
