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Crisis in Cameroon's Far North: how emergency aid is restoring hope to families like Roukaya's
In June 2025, Roukaya's life was turned upside down. This mother of six and her husband were living peacefully in Gouzda-Ldama, in Cameroon's Far North region. But violent attacks by non-state armed groups (NSAGs) forced more than 675 people to flee for their lives.
Publié le 14/10/2025 | Temps de lecture : 10 min
Roukaya and her family, including her baby who was barely a month and a half old, were forced to flee, taking only the bare minimum with them.
“I wrapped my baby in my loincloth as we fled. We didn’t even have a change of clothes; our only possessions were the clothes we were wearing.”
After two days of exhausting walking, Roukaya and her family found refuge in the village of Mboua, located in the town of Mokolo, where a family took them in. The first few nights were extremely difficult.
“We slept on the floor, on a loincloth… One night, I caught my husband crying… he who is usually so strong.”
How can you help displaced people in the Far North of Cameroon?
Faced with the humanitarian emergency caused by the security crisis, Première Urgence Internationale activated its Rapid Response Mechanism in partnership with local organizations CADEPI and Tammounde Speranza.
Our goal is clear: to provide vital emergency aid to the most vulnerable displaced persons (as well as the communities that welcome them). Our intervention is comprehensive and covers essential needs:
- Shelter and basic necessities (shelters and essential household items – EHI)
- Water, Hygiene and Sanitation (WHS)
- Food assistance
In Mboua, Roukaya’s host community, our teams responded quickly.
- We distributed 27 shelter kits and 85 essential household items kits to help families find shelter.
- We built three shower blocks and three latrine blocks to ensure hygiene and dignity for the community.
- We improved access to drinking water for 2,363 people, both hosts and displaced persons, by rehabilitating water points.
Roukaya and her family thus benefited from emergency assistance in the form of essential household items, provided in collaboration with our humanitarian partners, Action Against Hunger, Solidarités International, and COHEB.
What has been the concrete impact of this humanitarian aid on Roukaya’s life?
Thanks to this support, Roukaya has been able to regain some dignity and normality:
“This helping hand from Première Urgence Internationale has given us hope again. My family and I use the mats, mosquito nets, and blankets for sleeping. The pots and stove allow us to cook. I use the containers and soap for laundry, washing dishes, and bathing.”
Emergency shelters, Sirak Gorai, Mayo Tsanaga department, Far North © Première Urgence Internationale
Beyond material goods, our teams organized awareness sessions for all displaced households. These crucial sessions focus on:
- The use of the kits received.
- Good hygiene practices (hand washing, sanitation, water treatment) to prevent the spread of waterborne diseases.
This intervention is part of the rapid response mechanism funded by the European Union.
Support our emergency actions so that other families like Roukaya’s can regain hope.
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