Cameroon: Nigerian refugees plant 360,000 trees to limit the advance of the desert

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced Sunday that Nigerian refugees and host communities in Cameroon's Far North area have planted 360,000 trees in and around the Minawao receiving camp.

UNHCR and the Cameroonian government have devised a method to create eco-friendly briquettes from charcoal balls obtained from plant waste in order to encourage refugees and local populations to reduce firewood abuse and therefore alleviate environmental pressure.

The Minawao camp is located in the Zama forest reserve, which is a semi-arid location in the Far North region. It is home to a diverse range of plant and animal species, and officials ban tree cutting.

The Minawao facility, which opened in 2013, now houses roughly 70,000 Nigerian refugees.