ShelterBox launches Spring fundraising appeal
The campaign is to provide shelter to displaced people around the world
Cornwall's charity ShelterBox has launched its Spring fundraising appeal to aim to make sure no-one in the world goes without shelter after disaster.
The campaign comes as more than 100 million people are still misplaced across the globe.
Flora Longley-Cook, Shelterbox's programme manager for Cameroon, said: "While some crises feature heavily in the media’s spotlight, places like Cameroon slip under the radar almost entirely.
"It means that sometimes there can be a humanitarian crisis affecting millions of people and very few people seem to know about it. We want to change that with the help of our supporters who we rely on to fund our responses."
The charity's Spring fundraising appeal aims to raise ÂŁ100,000 to help provide crucial support to people affected by conflict and extreme weather events.
Cameroon is one of many countries where ShelterBox is currently responding - where more than 4.7 million people are estimated to be in need from crises.
It includes armed violence in Nigeria that’s spilled over to the Lake Chad Basin region.
Flora added: "The need is so apparent, but the world isn’t being told about it.
"When I visited a transit centre for the camp recently it was completely over-crowded. A space meant for 250 people had around 2,000 people there waiting to move to Minawao camp.
"As well as supporting new arrivals with emergency tents, we’re offering more durable shelter solutions for people displaced for longer, alongside our partner Public Concern.
"We’re also making community toolkits available for people to borrow so they can make their existing shelters more robust with items like tarpaulins, wood, nails, and cement."
ShelterBox is hoping to support more than 50,000 people in the far north of Cameroon during its latest project in the country.
One family that has received ShelterBox support is Mallam’s - a young widow who was forced to flee her home with her three children after an armed group attacked.
She said: "For a parent the most important thing is to guarantee the safety and future of your children."
Uprooted twice by attacks, Mallam left her home behind and spent time without food, drinkable water, or a place to sleep before arriving at the refugee site where she would receive support from ShelterBox. Simple items like water filters and solar lights can make such a huge difference when there is no clean water or electricity.
"What I appreciate the most about the lamps is probably the fact that they are rechargeable and solar powered. I am very happy!
"I am aware of how lucky I have been to have survived an ordeal twice in a row; life inside a refugee camp is not enviable but there are worse ones.
"I thank my people very much for their extreme generosity. They can't help everyone, that's obvious and not everyone has been so lucky."
Alice Byron, head of supporter engagement, said: "The need for shelter and other essential items in the far north of Cameroon remains urgent. Thousands of families are still living in makeshift camps or in inadequate housing, with no access to basic sanitation, clean water, or other essential services.
"That’s why we’re launching our Spring fundraising appeal so we can help more people around the world who have lost their homes, uprooted by conflict and extreme weather events – including in places that go overlooked. Every donation will make a real difference to the lives of those who have lost everything."
To find out more about ShelterBox or donate to the appeal, you can visit their website.