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Friday, 11 June 2021

Anglophone crisis: Doctors Without Borders Disappointed As Gov’t Prolongs Suspension From NW

The General Director of Doctors Without Borders (DWB) has expressed disappointment on the prolong suspension of their activities from conflict-hit North West region where humanitarian and health needs of civilian populations remains critical. 
Stephen Cornish, head of a high-level DWB delegation made the revelations in a release he issued recently. The delegation just ended a three week stay in Cameroon aimed at reviewing their framework operations in the NW after it was suspended by Governor Adolphe Lele L’Afrique 8 December 2020. 

“While  our  visit  to  Cameroon  was  an  opportunity  to  address  key  points,  no  agreement  was unfortunately  reached  to  immediately  restart  our  life-saving  medical services  in  the  North West region.  This is disappointing, but  we  remain  hopeful  that  the lifting  of  our suspension  can  be  reached in  the  coming  days,” partly read the release from the senior DWB official, who, however sounded optimistic.

“Discussions will  go  on  as  all  stakeholders  understand  that  our  operations  cannot remain  on  hold  indefinitely. Every  extra  day  of suspension  is another  day  that  we  cannot  assist  the population  in dire  need  of  health  care  services,” Cornish said, adding, that an agreement  will “undeniably  change  the situation for the  better in  the provision  of  essential  care in  the  North-West”.

Cornish expressed confidence that  such agreement is  still attainable  and  will allow  us them to provide essential  medical  services  in  the region  just as it is done  elsewhere  in  the  country. In interview granted The Median 19 May 2021, the DWB official admitted that they 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 and blamed it on miscommunication between them and local authorities. 

The DWB delegation has had talks with the ministers of Public Health, Territorial Administration, Defense, and External Relations and others on possible ways to review their framework and get their activities back on board. DWB has been working in Cameroon since 1984. The international  medical  NGO  runs  medical  humanitarian  projects in  the  Far  North  and  in  the South-West regions of  the country pending resumption in the NW. 

By Doh Bertrand Nua 

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