Bui, Donga-Mantung Divisions: NGO Raises Alarm Over Disturbing Rate Of Gender-based Violence

By Doh Bertrand Nua

An official of Strategic Humanitarian Service, SHUMAS, a nongovernmental organization operating in Bui and Donga-Mantung Divisions in Cameroon’s crisis-hit North West region has revealed that the rate of gender-based violence (GBV) in these areas is alarming.  

Vughose Ga-ahkeh Wutofu, Gender and Protection Focal Point of SHUMAS

Vughose Ga-ahkeh Wutofu, the Gender and Protection Focal Point of SHUMAS made the revelation Monday 14 December 2020 in Yaoundé. She was speaking on the sidelines of a workshop organised by the World Food Programme (WFP) with its cooperating partners operating in the field on what the United Nations, UN, in general and WFP actions in particular could hinge on in the next decade.

“In Bui and Donga Mantung where we work, I’ll tell you the rate is very high. About 85.62% from the last report I build up at the end of the year for the programme,” Vughose revealed. 

She blamed the high rate on the ongoing armed conflict rocking the North West and South West regions of the country which has completely crippled and in some cases grounded several socio-economic and educational activities and forced many parents to spend longer time at home. 

“We see that schools are not functioning, children are staying at home, markets, farms are not functioning. Actually, families stay at home now and there is high risk of domestic violence between parents; the father and the mother and even children. They don’t have anything doing and so find time to argue,” Vughose explained. 

“Children now are exposed to the risk of unwanted pregnancy. They are just finding themselves engaged in the risk of unwanted sexual activity. When you send children to farm to fetch wood, some came back rape and the others are forced to join the non-state armed groups,” she added.  

Harping on the situation of food security in the two divisions, the SHUMAS official categorically said the crisis has rendered the population to desperately be in of food assistance. 

“…people go through very desperate measures just to get food because they no longer go to their farms, they don’t have access to health care and access to other livelihood activities that was income generating…it is very frustrating because each day in the field, it is like you are fighting between the reality that was there before and the reality now,” she said. 

She condemned constant suspicion from both non-state armed groups and government on their activities to assist the already suffering masses, adding, that it at times delay movement of food items from the main warehouse and their intervention to needy communities for days. 

“It is very challenging. At times it takes three and more days to move food to areas that you would have used one day to the field...we find ourselves in a fix because government looks at us as working in partnership with the non-state armed groups and at the same time the non-state armed groups are looking at us as working with government,” she explained, adding, that it makes the ground very dangerous for them aid workers. 

“It is a very dangerous ground that you need to tread very wisely. But we are bent on being sincere in what we tell people…if you tell them nothing but the truth about your activities in the field and they decide to do an investigation and discover you told them just the truth, no one will disturb you,” she added. 

She appreciated the initiative of WFP to dialogue with partners, stating that the discussions and especially the recommendations arrived at would help them better master the different situational context in which they find themselves and bring up  other measures that would better contribute to the success of their activities on the ground.