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Over 7,000 flee to Chad after violence in Nigeria

Xinhua, January 10, 2015 Adjust font size:

Around 7,300 Nigerian refugees fled attacks in northeastern Nigeria to Chad over the past 10 days, a UN spokesperson said Friday.

Citing the UN Refugee Agency, Farhan Haq said that the newly arrived refugees in Chad are staying with local communities in villages around 450 kilometers northwest of the Chadian capital N' Djamena.

Boko Haram militants seized Baga military base and several nearby locations in the far northeastern Nigeria on Jan. 3, forcing residents to flee to neighboring countries.

The UN refugee agency teams in Chad are at the border and seeking more information on the new arrivals and their needs, Haq said, noting the number of refugees from Nigeria in Chad has reached more than 10,000.

The Chadian government has requested the assistance of aid agencies to help the refugees. The conflict in northeastern Nigeria has led to the exodus of 135,000 people and at least 850, 000 people were displaced within Nigeria, the agency said. Endite