The Humanitarian Coordinator in Cameroon strongly condemns the attack on a United Nations convoy in the South-West region of Cameroon

The Humanitarian Coordinator in Cameroon, Mr. Matthias Z. Naab, strongly condemns the attack perpetrated by a non-state armed group on 26 March against a United Nations convoy in Ikata village, in the South-West region of Cameroon.

The UN convoy, composed of two vehicles with seven staff members, was conducting a monitoring mission to Munyenge village in the South-West region. Shortly after entering Ikata village, a group of armed men opened fire on the convoy with automatic weapons. The attack did not lead to any loss of life nor injuries among the mission participants, but the two vehicles were seriously damaged.

This attack is the first of this kind on a UN convoy since the beginning of the North-West and South-West crisis. However, several humanitarian workers have been threatened, abducted, injured, and killed to date in the two regions.

The general insecurity, especially attacks on civilians, aid workers, and essential social service providers, increases the population’s suffering and undermines humanitarian actors’ capacity to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance timely.

On behalf of the humanitarian community, the Humanitarian Coordinator calls on all parties to the crisis to abide by their obligations under intrenational human rights law and to refrain from any attacks against humanitarian organizations, educational and health care facilities and their personnel and assets. The United Nations calls for perpetrators of these attacks to be held accountable.

“Safe, timely, and unhindered access of humanitarian organizations to deliver life-saving aid to the affected population needs to be guaranteed,” said Mr. Naab.

Mr. Naab stressed the humanitarian community’s commitment to continue to support crisis- affected populations in Cameroon.

For more information, please contact:

Carla Martinez, Head of Office OCHA Cameroon, martinez14@un.org

Press releases from OCHA are available at www.unocha.org/rowca and www.reliefweb.int

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

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