30,000 flee Nigerian town over Boko Haram
The United Nations refugee agency said Tuesday more
than 30,000 Nigerians fled the border town of Rann over the weekend to seek
safety in Cameroon as attacks by Boko Haram extremists continue, the Washington
Post reported.
Spokesman Babar Baloch said Tuesday that thousands
more have fled to neighboring Chad because of the violence in northeastern
Nigeria.
Refugees began fleeing to Cameroon earlier this
month when extremists attacked and seized Rann, in Borno state, on Jan. 14.
Increased violence in Borno also has forced 80,000
civilians to seek refuge in overcrowded camps or towns inside Nigeria. The
refugee agency says the violence is not abating and is forcing aid workers to
pull out of some areas.
The UN calls on countries in the region to keep
borders open.
