CI-NEWS

South West: 100 religious leaders train on humanitarian response.

2019-12-03

No: 459

South West: 100 religious leaders train on humanitarian response.

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported in December 2018that 444. 213 people were displaced in the North West and South West Region of Cameroon due to the crisis which started in November 2016. It further stated that the displacement has further weakened the social structures necessary for providing protective environment for children, adolescents and youth. To see that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) regain their life or for an effective humanitarian response be put in place, the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Foundation (LUKMEF) organized a two-day workshop for faith based organisations. It was within the framework of United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICFF) project titled “Strengthening Community based Mechanism and Sexual Gender Based Risks for Children and adolescents at risk in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon”. From November 20 to 21, 2019, 100 religious leaders made up of Pastors, Imams, Rev Sisters, Fathers were trained on humanitarian response and UNICEF specific intervention. They received lessons on humanitarian principles, core humanitarian standards, various clusters and activities, prevention against sexual exploitation, the role of faith-based organisations in humanitarian response among others. Cheick Wirgo Yakubu Wirsiy, Imam of Buea Central Mosque, indicated that the seminar has reinforced their capacities in enhancing sharing and providing for the needy in their communities.

For his part, Rev Fon Henry Kuaban of Presbyterian Church Botaland Limbe, said that his church has been responding to humanitarian needs of IDPs but will do better now with the knowledge gathered from the seminar.

Meanwhile, Christian Tanyi, LUKMEF’s CEO, noted that religious leaders are found in every community and going by the principle of accountability to affected population, it requires that those affected by the crisis towards whom they are providing humanitarian assistance should actually be involved in the programme designing, implementation and evaluation. That they have realized that religious leaders in the North West and South West were not properly integrated in humanitarian response and within the child protection of UNICEF. “There was need to mobilise and engage the religious organisations to fully understand who humanitarian actors are, how they work and how they actually intend to participate in humanitarian response”, he explained to the press.

Culled from Cameroon Insider

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South West: 100 religious leaders train on humanitarian response.