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What happened, where and when?
On the 22nd of February 2024, around 3 p.m., four traditional chiefs from the village of GAMAL (in Chad) sought refuge in the locality of GALA in Cameroon, followed by their community. This sudden displacement stemmed from land disputes with an army man, which resulted in the forceful seizure of the population's fields. Feeling unsafe, the population moved to Cameroon, specifically to the locality of Gala (a neighboring village situated across the Logone River), within the Logone Birni District. Families arrived in waves since the 22nd of February, with a peak noted on the 26th of February, when the Logone et Chari divisional committee of RC informed the national headquarters after conducting an on-site assessment with local authorities. According to a rapid multi-sectoral assessment conducted on the 28th of February by humanitarian actors and local authorities, this population consists of 2,385 people, comprising 300 households (993 women and 1,392 men), with over 500 people having special needs (pregnant and breast-feeding women, elders, orphaned children, wounded and disabled persons). The average household size is 8 people.
These families settled along the banks of the Logone River and are building huts as they arrive, using makeshift materials such as a few stakes, tufts of grass, and worn-out bags as roofing. These people arrived with the bare minimum that can only help them for a short time. If nothing is done by the 15th of March, the situation will deteriorate. They defecate in the open air and use the river water as it is, for all their needs and consumption, which exposes them to a high risk of water-borne diseases, particularly cholera. These communities are in urgent need of assistance; otherwise, their vulnerability could worsen and extend to the neighbouring populations.