Bamenda: Flood victims seek help as authorities call for evacuation from risk zones.

A mother and food vendor, who wished to be referred to simply as Vera, is among those affected. She is currently living with her children in the home of a good Samaritan. She told The Guardian Post that she was at her business place when the heavy rain started.

“I was at my business site when the rain started. I started feeling tired and decided to go home. When I got there, water was already entering the house. As I took the children out, the house collapsed. If I had wasted time, the house could have collapsed on them,” she said. 

The floods destroyed everything Vera and her children owned, leaving the family dependent on the kindness of others.

“We don't have a place to live. Where we are now, it is thanks to someone who came to our aid and opened their doors for me and my children,” she added.

With schools expected to reopen soon, Vera said her biggest worry is the future of her children. One of them is expected to sit the GCE Ordinary Level examination this year, but the family members’ birth certificates were lost in the disaster.

“My greatest worry is my children. One of them is to write the GCE Ordinary Level this year, but the birth certificates were carried away by the flood waters. My appeal to the government is to help us so that our children can eat and also go to school,” Vera said. 

Authorities call for evacuation as rains intensify

Almost a week after the incident, which reportedly put the lives of several residents at risk, authorities have intensified calls for people living in flood- and landslide-prone areas to move to safer locations. The Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, Mezam, Simon Emile Mooh, and the Bamenda City Mayor, Paul Achobong, have issued separate calls urging residents in risk zones to take precautions.

In his call for vigilance, the City Mayor warned residents living along waterways, in flood-prone areas and landslide zones to leave such locations. He also called on residents to stop throwing garbage into waterways and blocking drainage channels.

For people like Vera, however, simply asking them to leave may not be enough. At the Water Side area shows families are living in old and poorly maintained structures close to waterways. But residents said poverty, rather than choice, has pushed them into such locations.

“If we had the resources, we would not be here, where we risk being swept away by water at any time. We needed a roof over our heads, and what we could afford was the place we called home before it came crashing down during the heavy rains,” Vera said.

But some observers say evacuation calls should go together with practical support, including temporary shelter and assistance for affected families.

Some pundits are questioning where low-income families are expected go when authorities ask them to leave risky areas. As heavy rains continue, community leaders and residents have urged people to remain alert and protect their families.  For victims like Vera, leaving a dangerous home is only the first step. Analysts say they also need somewhere safe to go.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3885 of Friday August 21, 2026