Cameroonian officials declared a humanitarian emergency after intruding Atlantic waters destroyed hundreds of homes, buildings and plantations along Cameroon’s coast.
Waves crash against the walls and houses built on the coast of Becumu. Bekumu is a village in southern Cameroon, located in Ndian, an administrative unit on part of Cameroon’s 400 km Atlantic coast.
Footage broadcast by Cameroon’s state television this week showed civilians screaming for help.
“If the government doesn’t help immediately, if the government doesn’t act urgently, I don’t believe Bekumu will exist again. The water levels are so high. What is this, oh my God.”
The civilian was not identified in the video, but the Bekum Village Development Committee said in a press release that it shared the photo of the civilian calling for help to raise awareness about their fate.
Becumu villagers said this week’s seawater intrusion destroyed homes, public buildings and plantations and left hundreds homeless.
Cameroon’s government said huge waves swept through Bekumu, destroying coastal villages, plantations, schools, churches and markets.
Civilians say they lack drinking water after the sea washed away and emptied wastewater from streams considered drinking water sources.
Sanjay John is the traditional ruler of Bekum village. He told VOA on Wednesday via a messaging app that this was the first time waters off the Atlantic coast had caused such serious damage to Bekumu. He said strong waves knocked down some school buildings and churches early Wednesday, sending homeless civilians to seek shelters.
“The disaster is very serious, water has rushed from schools to people’s houses and even all churches. Water is everywhere. I appeal to the government to help us,” he said.
Sanchi said dozens of civilians had been relocated to safer villages, while three dozen others were trapped in creeks, awaiting help to relocate. He said hunger was looming as hundreds of hectares of farmland were now destroyed by water.
Fishermen, farmers and traders account for 75% of the population of the affected villages. They said economic activity dropped sharply due to seawater intrusion, which killed goats and washed away poultry farms.
When seawater swept over the coastal town of Kribi last August, engulfing homes and plantations, CEMAC, the six-nation economic grouping of Cameroon, Chad, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, the Central African Republic and the Republic of Congo, said continued sea level rise was critical to This could be catastrophic for an economic bloc where 30% of civilians live along the coast.
Cameroon’s government has blamed global warming and rising sea levels for seawater intrusion into its coastal lands.
Cameroon’s Ministry of Agriculture said the ongoing flooding in Ndian has exacerbated Cameroon’s declaration of a humanitarian emergency after flooding caused food shortages in several areas of the country. The government said it had dispatched humanitarian workers and specialized military services to rescue civilians, but gave no further details.
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