North West Region: Water scarcity fuels sexual perversion crisis.

“Once we set out to fetch water, we can only count on our legs to rescue us in the face of trouble. You must run at the closest sign of danger. We look out for the “boys” and if we catch a glimpse of them, we run off. Sometimes they chase us and unfortunately, if you are caught, you are raped mercilessly,” explains Christina.

The struggle to access clean water has become a matter of life and death in the crisis-stricken North West Region of Cameroon, as per survey carried out in ten different council areas of the region. 

For the indigenous populations living in these conflict-affected areas, the water scarcity is exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation - and hitting women and girls the hardest. 

"After trekking for hours one day I was exhausted and sat down to rest. Immediately, I heard a voice say lie down and with a gun pointed over me, I had no choice but to let him have his way with me,” Luma a rape victim and mother of four living in a displacement camp said. 

“What annoys me most is my daughters miss school on most days because they spend so much time fetching water,” she added. 

The regrettable situation has influenced a conscious decision by a civil society organisation called Dynamique Citoyenne to investigate the situation and propose a quality control plan for water supply mechanisms in Bamenda, that entails creating management committees in charge of ensuring that the various communities of the town have access to potable water in constant supply.

Officials of the organisation made the proposals during a meeting with the Regional Delegate for Water Resources and Energy for the North West and other government stakeholders to brainstorm ideas on possible solutions to the water crisis in the area. As per officials, the situation is worsening. 

According to data provided by the United Nations, between January and March of this year, there have been nearly 500 cases of rape and sexual or physical assault documented in the two Crisis regions, and more than 500 other cases of Gender-based Violence, GBV, including forced marriages, denial of economic resources and emotional abuse. 

At the peak of the crisis between February and December 2020, the UN documented 4,300 incidents of sexual and Gender-based Violence across the crisis-hit English-speaking regions of Cameroon. 

Almost half of incidents were cases of sexual or physical assault or rape, and in more than 30 percent of the cases, the victims were children.

Life-threatening situation

Findings of a survey carried out by nonprofit organisation, Dynamique Citoyenne, indicate the situation is life-threatening. 

An official of organisation, Gaby Ambo, points to the lack of potable water in many communities as a cause for concern.

“The reason for the water discourse is troubling, yet we found out that the public Investment budget has provided funds for the putting in place of some boreholes in certain communities. We need to follow up by carrying out surveys to actually check the functionality of this projects and if it benefiting inhabitants,” Ambo says. 

During the meeting to address the matter, the North West Regional Delegate of Water Resources and Energy, Azanga John Nkeng, highlighted the need for prompt solutions while drawing the attention of the region's authorities to the gravity of the situation. 

“From the presentation of Dynamique Citoyenne, we have been able to come up with some strategies which will go a long way to improve water supply to the beneficiary population. All the various stake holders are putting hands on deck, to ensure that water for public use and consumption is safe,” Azanga reiterates. 

The region's protracted crisis, marked by clashes between government forces and Anglophone pro-independence groups, has led to the destruction of vital infrastructure, including water systems. 

Hundreds of thousands have been displaced from their homes, putting immense strain on limited resources in host communities.

But the burden falls disproportionately on women and girls, who are traditionally responsible for household water collection and use. 

Without nearby water sources, they are forced to spend back-breaking hours trekking to distant, unsafe streams and ponds.

"When the water dries up, it's the girls who suffer the most. I and my sisters, and many other girls don’t go to school when experiencing our monthly flow," explains Beatrice, a student. 

Clotilda Andiensa, Gender Equality activist for the Center for Advocacy in Gender Equality and Action for Development, CAGEAD-Cameroon, admits to the assertion. 

"They can't maintain good hygiene. They miss school. It puts their health and safety at serious risk. Not living out physically disabled persons, the blind or lame have no means of reaching distant water sources,” Andiensa said.

"This is a human rights crisis, plain and simple," says a community leader and regional aid worker. 

"The government and the international community must take urgent action to ensure these vulnerable populations have the most basic resources to survive," the official adds. 

As the government continues to make efforts towards resolving the conflict, water scarcity in the North West Region remains a threat to the wellbeing of inhabitants in the town. For the women and girls most affected by this crisis, the future remains painfully uncertain.

*Ngwa Keziah Fela is a staff of CRTV in the North West Region 

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3212 of Wednesday August 28, 2024