1. Home
  2. West Africa
  3. Cameroon

Red Cross responds to floods

Cameroon’s Red Cross has started to prepare local communities in the southwest of the country against further mishaps, following recent floods which claimed about 30 lives, the International Federation of the Red Cross said on Wednesday. “Volunteers will help in disinfecting wells, digging and repairing drainage ditches. Additional training is planned for volunteers in water sanitation,” a report published on the federation’s website said. The report said the Cameroon Red Cross Society in Limbe was able to mount a swift response to the floods that swept the southwestern town on 27 June even though the society itself was a victim of the disaster. “We had to abandon the office quickly, and we lost most of our supplies,” Catherine Eposi Meboka, who heads the Red Cross’ Limbe branch, was quoted as saying. Its ability to quickly mobilise the volunteers who helped evacuate the most vulnerable people - the elderly, women and children - was attributed to emphasis since last year on disaster preparedness.

This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

Share this article

Get the day’s top headlines in your inbox every morning

Starting at just $5 a month, you can become a member of The New Humanitarian and receive our premium newsletter, DAWNS Digest.

DAWNS Digest has been the trusted essential morning read for global aid and foreign policy professionals for more than 10 years.

Government, media, global governance organisations, NGOs, academics, and more subscribe to DAWNS to receive the day’s top global headlines of news and analysis in their inboxes every weekday morning.

It’s the perfect way to start your day.

Become a member of The New Humanitarian today and you’ll automatically be subscribed to DAWNS Digest – free of charge.

Become a member of The New Humanitarian

Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

Join