Humanitarian CrisesNews

Govt Wants To Closely Control Our Operations In Northwest Cameroon, Says MSF

According to the MSF boss, it is important for the humanitarian organisation to work in the northwest region because of the situation there.

The Director General of the international medical and humanitarian non-governmental organization (NGO) Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) has revealed that the Cameroon government wants to closely control the organisation’s operations in the northwest region.

Stephen Paul Cornish is currently in Cameroon to negotiate the lifting of the ban on its activities in the crisis-stricken English-speaking northwest region.

ā€œWe were suspended while waiting for the clarification of our context of operations with the Ministry of Health. Meanwhile, it has become clear during the course of ulterior discussions that the Cameroon government would want to more closely control our medical humanitarian operations,ā€ Cornish said.

ā€œWe want to work in Cameroon according to the principles of international humanitarian law and medical ethics as obtained everywhere. For us, the most important thing in the northwest is to guarantee health services access to the population and it is undeniable that this suspension has had an impact.”

He noted that getting medical access to the crisis stricken areas remains the priority of his organisation.

ā€œWe know that the current crisis has been catastrophic to the population there and working to ensure access to medical treatment is our priority,” the MSF Director General said.

“We also recognise that there exist humanitarian needs in the southwest and extreme north regions where our teams are providing essential treatment, and in Yaounde where we are accompanying the Ministry of Health in the treatment of persons infected by COVID-19.ā€

ā€œOur objective is to ensure that we can find a way of working which guarantees that all the populations have access to the treatment which they need. MSF has been working in Cameroon for 35 years along with colleagues of the Ministry of Health to ameliorate the quality of treatment offered to patients and thanks to innovation and the exchange of technical expertise, our work has been diversified, but it remains based on clear medical needs.”

According to the MSF boss, it was important for the humanitarian organisation to work in the northwest region because of the situation there, noting that ā€œthe displaced population finds it difficult to access basic services including medical treatment.ā€

Summary not available.


Support Our Journalism

There are millions of ordinary people affected by conflict in Africa whose stories are missing in the mainstream media. HumAngle is determined to tell those challenging and under-reported stories, hoping that the people impacted by these conflicts will find the safety and security they deserve.

To ensure that we continue to provide public service coverage, we have a small favour to ask you. We want you to be part of our journalistic endeavour by contributing a token to us.

Your donation will further promote a robust, free, and independent media.

Donate Here

Of course, we want our exclusive stories to reach as many people as possible and would appreciate it if you republish them. We only ask that you properly attribute to HumAngle, generally including the author's name, a link to the publication and a line of acknowledgement. Contact us for enquiries or requests.

Contact Us

Chief Bisong Etahoben

Chief Bisong Etahoben is a Cameroonian investigative journalist and traditional ruler. He writes for international media and has participated in several transnational investigations. Etahoben won the first-ever Cameroon Investigative Journalist Award in 1992. He serves as a member of a number of international investigative journalism professional bodies including the Forum for African Investigative Reporters (FAIR). He is HumAngle's Francophone and Central Africa editor.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Translate Ā»