Humanitarians working in the North West region have
hailed humanitarian women working to bring relief to the many affected by the
ongoing armed conflict despite the many challenges they face on daily basis.
The women received their accolades from the United Nations UN Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs OCHA and partners Saturday August 17
during activities to mark the 2019 edition of World Humanitarian Day in
Bamenda.  |
| Cross section of the event hall with participants listening to poem on Woman by Njoke Raisa |
“You know that the humanitarian day is commemorated
every year and each year there is a theme. It happens that those who designed
that theme saw the important role that women play in humanitarian work… in the
context of this crisis I have witnessed it myself.” Tanda Theophilus OCHA
representative for the North West region noted adding that during a joint UN
humanitarian mission to Mbengwi recently, “I tell you all the community
humanitarian workers that we met were all women. These are people who are
face-to-face with the challenges. All the challenges we saw come from reality and
these are the people who face the reality. We imagine that majority are women.
Is that not worth honouring? He questioned.
“Our major
concern especially talking about the role of the woman, the women is actually
the weaker sex and she is more vulnerable and prone to gender based violence.
Very often they are those who are the victims even when they are survivors,
they find it difficult to express their difficulties to those who can assist or
help them. We have had the opportunity to meet a couple of them! A good number
actually who were unable to express this difficulties.” Rev Fr Njokikang Paul
Fru Director of Caritas Bamenda one of the organisations working with the
vulnerable, displaced and suffering corroborated.
In search for a solution to the women challenges Rev
Fr Njokikang announced the opening of doors by Caritas Bamenda to women who are
suffering due to gender based violence. “We are ready to assist them; we are
ready to provide them psycho social support to help them come out of the trauma.
Some of their homes have been burnt; some of their husbands and friends have
been killed and they are living in a very traumatic situation.”
At institutional level, the challenges were also
raised with Plan Cameroon noting that with the regular road blocks prevent
access to most affected areas in need of humanitarian aid. Mentioning Boyo, Bui
and Menchum Divisions including parts of Momo like Batibo, the representative
for plan Cameroon added that the continuous displacement of people from these
places also constitute a major challenge.
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| Plan staff and collaborators at event celebrating humanitarian Women |
Focused on the protection of children especially
girls, officials of Plan Cameroon told the commemorating assembly that despite
the challenges, they have continued to provide psycho social support to as many
as possible internally displaced children in the region through the provision
of workshops for counseling and skills acquisition in beading. According to Plan Cameroon officials, this
will provide an appropriate response to issues of empowerment and aid
sustainability. In addition, they have
created safe spaces for displaced children in the region, provided water,
sanitation and hygiene Kits to close to 30500 people in about 20 WASH clusters
in the North West and South West where close to 80% of persons are in need.
In addition, the World Food Programme WFP also raised
concerns on the lack of storage facilities for food which is getting bad as a
result of untimely distribution due to transportation difficulties.
Celebrated every year on August 19, though celebrated
on August 17 in the NW due to the uncertainty that characterize Mondays in the
NW, World Humanitarian Day honours effects worldwide aimed at supporting people
in crisis with OCHA speaking for the entire humanitarian community worldwide.
This year’s edition celebrates women humanitarians and their contributions to
making the world a better place.
“Women Humanitarians hold a sense of unparalleled uniqueness, one
that adds to the global momentum of female strength, power and perseverance. It
is time to honor the women who have acted as first responders to the darkest
hours of crisis. This year’s campaign on Women Humanitarians supports the
recognition that women deserve in the strengthening of global humanitarian
response as well as in protection efforts under the international law. This
August 19, rituals of everyday life will be used to showcase the contrast of
what our humanitarians encounter on a daily basis. As we would map moments of
everyday life against women humanitarians all across the world, these special
women’s experiences would seem all the more relatable and real.” OCHA explained
on their website.
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