Cameroon’s two English-speaking North West and South West regions have been plagued by violence for close to five years now. The crisis which has morphed into full-fledged armed conflict started in October 2016 following complaints of discrimination and perceived marginalization by the Francophone-dominated government on the minority Anglophone population.
Victims of continuous violence missing emergency intervention, free health care as gov't's suspension of DWB activities in NWR nears six months
Government’s seeming highhandedness, negligence and lack of tact in handling the modest demands from Common Law Lawyers and Anglophone teachers during peaceful demonstrations, use of force on unarmed civilians resulting to deaths, arson acts instead radicalised the masses.
The ongoing conflict has killed over 3,000 civilians, soldiers and members of the non-state armed groups, displaced over 700 000 and forced over 60 000 to flee to neighbouring Nigeria as refugees, according to estimates made by the United Nations in 2020.
The worsening violence marked by separatist-imposed lockdowns, ghost towns and state-imposed curfews continues to prevent many vulnerable people, especially women and children, from accessing healthcare. This has disrupted vital supply chains of essential drugs and equipment to health facilities, forced many medical personnel to flee to safer regions. Many health facilities in the suburbs have shut down while others have been burned. Remaining health centres are overwhelmed with injuries of those caught in crossfire and other ailments.
Doctors Without Borders (DWB) – an international independent humanitarian organization that provides medical assistance to people affected by violence, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare – then launched emergency medical response to offer free health care services to the needy.
These free health services hitherto enjoyed by the population has been deprived those in the North West region for close to six months now. NW Governor, Adolphe Lele L’Afrique, in an order issued 8 December 2020 suspended the activities of DWB in the region pending the review of their framework operations in the area with government.
The suspension has made health and humanitarian needs of the population “massive and critical” according to officials of DWB. They say their services have been overwhelmed with “dozens of calls” daily from the needy population as violence continues to escalate.
“…there are massive needs; it is truly critical for the patients and now especially in the NW. It pains us very much. We are still receiving dozens of calls to the ambulance service that is not working. So every day, we know that there are people that are unable to arrive at the centralize facilities and we are not able to bring the very basics of health care and life-saving support and this is truly tragedy for each and every person…,” revealed Stephen Cornish, General Director of DWB.
Cornish, who is head of a high-level delegation to review their framework operations and get their organisation restart activities in the NW made the revelations in an interview at their Bastos head office in Yaounde, Thursday 19 May 2021.
Stephen Cornish, General Director of DWB explaining circumstances that led to their suspension in NW and steps taken to restart activities at DWB head office at Bastos, Yaounde
He stated that the ongoing violence has made life very difficult on the population, “lowering their health standards, affecting their livelihoods, access to nutrition” and movements. This, he said, makes resumption of their services to villages and sometimes bushes where those who have fled violence and sought refuge more essential.
“…we are running health care works in the surrounding areas where as many as 20% of the health care structures are not functioning. We are bringing that last smile to the population who needs it most,” explained Cornish, who, added that DWB also trains community health workers to treat common ailments, ensure operation of a 24/7 ambulance service that’s able to work through curfews, lockdowns, and checkpoints, to ensure locals have access to free medical care and are rescued during emergencies.
Senior DWB official responding to questions
Cornish admitted that DWB may have made some errors in the NW before their suspension but dispelled allegations of the organization’s collaboration with members of non-state armed groups, blaming it on miscommunication between them and local authorities.
“…we work in the same framework of international humanitarian law and medical ethics. That means you have to be neutral, impartial…in order to work in areas of violence and insecurity, it is important to talk to all the parties in the violence. This means that we need to guarantee the safety and security of the ambulance service, the medical team and frontline community health workers that we need in the towns we are working and training,” he clarified, adding, that talking to belligerents in a violence situation is a common practice not only in the NW but elsewhere in the country and other parts of the world where they operate.
The senior DWB official said a workshop involving their staff and inter-ministerial team has been on within this period of suspension during which their activities have been reviewed, some misunderstandings found and corrected, and clarity on how to work together deliberated.
“…what we have tried to explain is that the best way for things to move is to have two tracks; restart our activities and continue to work on the framework operations,” Cornish said dominated their proposal to the ministers of Public Health, Territorial Administration, Defense, and External Relations whom they have had talks with so far.
He dismissed allegations questioning the neutrality of DWB in NW, SW, stating that the organization has operated in Cameroon for the 35 years long before the start of violence in the two regions. He said it is because they operate within laid down laws and humanitarian rules that government has allowed them to continue operating in other parts of the country despite the suspension in NW.
Cornish condemned attacks on their vehicles and personnel, reminding belligerent groups that their mission remains neutral, impartial and independent with sole goal to assist those who need health care the most. He added attacks on them by non-state armed groups vindicates them from all suspicions and further indicates their neutrality and independence on the ground.
He assured DWB’s respect of patient confidentiality during treatment adding that exchange of data between them and state authorities must respect this rule in order to maintain their independence and not to lose trust from the population.
Aside operating in the NW, SW regions, Cornish said DWB runs five hospitals in the Far North region which he revealed has difficult humanitarian situation and provides emergency and mental health care and responds to epidemics.
By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde
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