The UN warned Friday that a lack of drinking water in Cameroon has resulted in an increase in violent conflicts and forced relocation in villages in the country's north.

The intercommunal conflict has erupted in northern Cameroon, forcing over 30,000 people to evacuate their homes and halting humanitarian operations, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.

The incident is the latest chapter in a tumultuous relationship between herders, fishers, and farmers in the region, who have seen the waters and tributaries of Lake Chad declined considerably as a result of climate change-induced drought.

UNHCR spokesperson Boris Cheshirkov told reporters in Geneva that fights have erupted in the village of Ouloumsa in recent days over decreasing water resources.

The violence subsequently extended to adjacent communities, destroying ten villages.

During three days of violence that began on Sunday, December 5, at least 22 people have been murdered and 30 more have been gravely injured.

According to the UNHCR, fighting broke out three days later, on December 8, in the Cameroonian city of Kousseri, a commercial hub with 200,000 residents.

"At least 10,000 people fled Kousseri to Chad's capital, N'djamena, just a few kilometers across the Chari and Logone rivers, which define the boundary with Cameroon," Mr. Cheshirkov said.

According to the UNHCR representative, eight out of ten of the new arrivals were women and children, many of whom were pregnant.

The UN agency praised Chad's welcoming attitude toward the newcomers, even though the country currently hosts almost a million migrants and internally displaced persons.

Mr. Cheshirkov stated that UN agencies and partners were hurrying to provide emergency shelter and assistance to Cameroonian refugees in collaboration with the government.

Despite security personnel being dispatched to the affected districts in Cameroon's Far North, a UNHCR spokeswoman stated that the situation remained unpredictable, requiring UNHCR to cease its operations there.