The Anglophone Crisis: Role Of Religious Leaders In Facilitating Humanitarian Actions

By Fomusoh Rachel

Close to a million people have been affected by the ongoing crisis in the North West region alone. Figures have it that over 34,000 persons have fled the country with 4000 persons displaced internally.

 A majority of this number are children amongst whom are those who've lost their parents in the conflict. Others have simply lost contacts with their parents, relatives and love ones.

Away from the fact that these persons especially the children and the elderly who can't fend for themselves need shelter, food, clothing and healthcare in recognition with sustainable development goals number one, two and three, a majority of these children have also been deprived of their right to education in defiance with SDG number four, advocating for quality education, as enshrined in Article 19th of the convention on the rights of the child. 

They also long for love and affection.The needs are huge and according to statistics revealed by UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs(OCHA) to media experts at a 4-day training in Douala recently, close to 299 million dollars is needed to support these needs and only 66million has been made available, representing just 22% of the support package.

Key statistics on humanitarian needs in Cameroon

  The 2-day training of 100 faith based religious leaders spread accross the seven divisions of the North West on Thursday and Friday 14th and 15th in Bamenda, preceeded a similar training organized for 25 others last month. The purpose was to drill them on the fundamental role they can play in facilitating access to humanitarian actions from actors, as explained by Christian Tanyi, Director of LUKMEF(Martin Luther jr.king memorial foundation cameroon).

Key actors at LUKMEF training

 "We're engaging the religious bodies because they are always the last man standing in any community that's been broken or affected to the extreme by any crisis. Religious leaders and traditional authorities are always there. Reason why they need to be properly engaged in humanitarian actions. Interms of access they are the ones to say what kind of response their communities need and how the humanitarian actors can get these aids to them..."

Cross section of religious leaders

They are expected to factor weekly, the humanitarian principles into their sermons for better understanding of who humanitarian actors are in their respective communities and the basis on which they operate.

This will lead to acceptance of the actors in our community, hence increase in the quality of humanitarian services delivered to those in need.