Risk, disaster management in Cameroon: Int’l Civil Defence Organization Pledges To Initiate Project, Improve Process

Madame Yap Mariatou, former Director of Civil Protection at the Ministry of Territorial Administration, MINAT, recently as Secretary General of the International Civil Defence Organization, OIPC, has promised to initiate a project that will improve the management risk and disasters in Cameroon. 

Yap made the promise during an audience granted her by Prime Minister and Head of Government Chief Dr. Joseph Dion Ngute Tuesday 2 March 2021. 

She equally used the audience to brief the PM of her interventions in the country upon arrival with different ministries notably that of Territorial Administration and External Relations were she was received in audience.   

“We intend to carry out an important project in Cameroon to strengthen the capacity of the local stakeholders involve in risk management and disaster management. This project cover two aspects; operational and strategic,” Yap disclosed. 

She said soon as she returns to the OIPC headquarter in Geneva, Switzerland, she will engage the financing procedure and set up regional office to follow up the project once the execution phase is launched. 

Her audience with the PM comes after she was received at the MINAT by the Minister Paul Atanga Nji Friday 26 February 2021. It was the first time she was received in audience by her former boss since her election into the OIPC. 

She accompanied to the audience by Audrey Kudimo, the Deputy SG of OIPC and Ms Saltanat Tashmatova, in charge of International Cooperation.

She also promised to train different stakeholders on emergency civil protection strategies, using modern equipment like helicopters to put out fires and pick up accident victims, using boats in flood areas and motorbikes to accident scenes to give necessary first aid, before the arrival of ambulances among others to enable the project get to its execution phase. 

This she said will be done with the aid of technical partners from Russia. Aside the implementation of the project, Yap, disclosed that a liaison office of OIPC will be created in Cameroon to cover the sub region and its personnel will have diplomatic passports to permit them move freely to other countries to salvage civil protection disasters.

The MINAT, expressed gratitude to her plans for Cameroon, adding that with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, civil protection has taken centre stage, and Cameroon is ready to receive appropriate civil protection training from her organization in order to stem propagation of the pandemic.