The reality of the government’s announced emergency humanitarian assistance plan for internally displaced persons(IDPs), following the socio-political crisis rocking the North West and South West regions was visible in Bamenda on November 2, 2018 when North West Governor, Adolphe Lele Lafrique kick-started the distribution of material and food items to some IDPs.
The exercise at the Up station premises of the Governor’s Office featured internally displaced persons who earlier registered on arrival in Bamenda after escaping violence from the Divisions of the region and the neighbourhoods of Manyu Division in the South West Region.
The Sub Director of Civil Protection who led the team from Ministry of Territorial Administration (MINAT), Tchuente Gilbert told Cameroon Tribune that the first lap of distribution in Bamenda featured for distribution, some 100 mattresses, 100 blankets, cartons of savon, bags of rice, cartons of fish etc. Each IDP took home a mattress, blanket, some groundnut oil, 10 pieces of savon, a bag of rice etc.
Around to receive the items were IDPs from Belo, Fundong, Njinikom, Batibo Sub Divisions or better still, IDPs from virtually all the Divisions of the North West and others from the neighbourhood villages of Manyu Division in the South West Region. Around the Governor to ensure the smooth conduct of the exercise were the SDO of Mezam, Songa Pierre Rene and a senior staff of the Attorney General’s office.
It was on the strength of President Paul Biya’s decision that the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Philemon Yang on June 20, 2018 gave details on the government’s strategy and how to raise money to restore a conducive environment for the socio-political development of the affected people and areas of the North West and South West regions.
Talking points of the Emergency humanitarian assistance plan turns around a budget of FCFA 12.7 billion. The Minister of Territorial Administration is in charge of supervising the implementation of the plan with a call for national and international solidarity to finance the project which features the protection of displaced persons, healthcare, education, resumption of economic and agricultural activities and housing among others.
It is also about the promotion of social cohesion and living together, rehabilitation of structures destroyed during the crisis. At the launch of the emergency humanitarian plan ,the government revealed that 74,966 persons had been displaced, 8,554 in the North West and 66,412 in the South West region.