Buea: World Food Programme succours flood victims with food.

The donation exercise took place April 4, at the Buea Town Stadium in Buea Subdivision. The Head of the Field Office of the World Food Programme in Buea, Kudzayi Mazumba, said the donation is to reduce the additional pressure brought on families by the floods. 

“It is very important because most of the households lost their belongings due to the floods. Some lost their food reserves and because of the flooding, there is added pressure on the households to find food and medicines. As a result, WFP, is coming in to meet their food needs and help them to recover from the impact of the flooding,” Mazumba said.

Each of the more than 300 households received 66.6 kg of rice, 21.6kg of beans, 7.2kg of vegetable oil, and 0.9kg of salt as well as green peas. The full stock of food distributed to the victims by WFP amounts to 28.9 metric tons of food supplies, completing what the organisation terms a food basket.

The 300 households previewed equals 1,800 individual beneficiaries as explained by the Head of the Field Office in Buea. 

“We have packages for about 300 households, each household with about six beneficiaries that brings to about 1,800 beneficiaries. But we have planned for 2,000 beneficiaries, as per the request from the authorities,” Mazumba said.

Speaking to the press, Mazumba said WFP was making consultations with the authorities for a sustainable solution to the floods. 

“Currently, we have a nonstop distribution to meet the immediate needs. We are still discussing, but we will consult with the authorities whether there can be more sustainable ways to try to address some of the underlying problems. This is because we noted that more to the torrential rains, the issue of blocked drains may have contributed…we are exploring if there is potential for a partnership to clear those drains. However, discussions are still ongoing and they will be announced in due course,” he noted.

Beneficiaries express gratitude 

Speaking to journalists after receiving the food supplies, Nju Jeanette, a beneficiary, said the assistance would enable her family to eat something else, not the usual rice every day. 

“People have been assisting us with small supplies, but this one will last for a longer time. We will stay for some time without going to the market. After eating exclusively rice for two weeks now, we will be able to change our diet with this support,” she said.

On his part, Chia Titus, another beneficiary, was happy that his large family would stay for some time without buying some food items. 

“This will help my family a lot because I have a household of 12 persons, so it will last at least a month or two before we can buy stuff like rice or the others,” he said.

Another beneficiary, Emmanuel Pendi, expressed joy that his family will enjoy good food again after the floods destroyed their property. 

“I am very happy with this assistance because it will help me, as my family will have good food thanks to WFP,” Pendi said. 

World Food Programme has been working with the government of Cameroon since 1978 to improve the immediate food security situation and long-term resilience of vulnerable communities in the Far North, North, Adamawa, East, North West and South West regions; stabilising community productivity and nutrition, reducing post-harvest losses, improving gender and social inclusion and promoting market opportunities for smallholder farmers.

In 2022, WFP reached more than 800,000 people across six regions in Cameroon, 10,246 of whom are living with disabilities. In the South West region, in 2022, more than 4,259.074 metric tons of food items under the general food assistance intervention, 105.577 metric tons of specialised food under the nutrition intervention and over one billion FCFA in cash to support the food and nutrition needs of vulnerable persons.