Statement by the Humanitarian Coordinator in Cameroon condemning the killing of a humanitarian health staff in the North-West region

Yaoundé, 28 February 2022 – The Humanitarian Coordinator in Cameroon, Mr. Matthias Z. Naab, strongly condemns the killing of a nurse and injuring of a doctor and another nurse in the NorthWest region. He expresses his deepest condolences on behalf of the humanitarian community to the family of the victim and wishes a speedy recovery to the two injured staff.

On 26 February 2022, presumed non-State armed groups elements stopped a medical convoy of two vehicles from the Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC) returning to Bamenda. Gunshots fired on one of the vehicle caused fatal wounds to the nurse who was rushed to the hospital and later deceased. The team, which included a total of 18 people, was returning from delivering healthcare services to people in need in Ashong and Nyonga localities in the North-West region.

“This is inadmissible. Health workers must be protected so they can continue to save lives. The provision of health services is a priority of the humanitarian response in the region. Health services and facilities must remain functional, safe and accessible to people who need essential medical services” said Mr. Naab.

The crisis in the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon has seen a large number of attacks on healthcare, with health workers or patients threatened, injured or killed, as well as medical infrastructures damaged or destroyed.

The Humanitarian Coordinator in Cameroon condemns in the strongest terms all actions targeting healthcare and calls on the perpetrators of these acts to refrain from hindering access to medical services. The humanitarian community remains mobilized to support affected populations in the regions.

For more information, please contact:
Karen Perrin, Head of Office, OCHA Cameroon, perrink@un.org
Press releases from OCHA are available at www.unocha.org/rowca and www.reliefweb.int