Cameroon: Maroua Drowning as Floods Submerge Homes, Streets

From Saturday night into Sunday morning, residents of Doursougo, in Maroua III Subdivision, endured a harrowing ordeal as floodwaters submerged homes, streets and sent hundreds of residents scouting for shelter in open air.

Standing ankle-deep in water, clutching their children, and balancing personal belongings on their heads, they fled their homes in desperation to save what mattered most: their lives.

A sudden and violent downpour transformed streets into rivers and submerged homes, sowing panic across neighborhoods.

“It was like a nightmare,” recounted one father who had been soaked in the floodwaters.

The gutters intended to channel rainwater either overflowed or were nonexistent in many areas.

Recently installed drainage pipes, part of public works projects, were no match for the torrent.

This resulted in floodwaters carving their own path through the community, sweeping away everything in their wake.

Floods have been a regular occurrence in Cameroon’s Far North Region, whose residents are already embattled by jihadist violence.

Recurrent Incidents

Last year, floods affected over 450,000 people, destroying over 85,000 hectares of farmland, homes and killing over 5,000 livestock in Diamare, Mayo-Danay, Mayo-Kani, Mayo-Tsanaga and Logone-et-Chari Divisions.

The recent tragedy may only be a surprise to those who were not alert.

Meteorological forecasts had warned that this rainy season would be characterised by floods in that part of the country and that the worst could happen if immediate action was not taken.

Experts have already identified Doursougo as one of several high-risk flood zones in Maroua.

Amid the growing threat, calls for urgent intervention are multiplying. Municipal authorities are under pressure to act decisively.

“The City Council must urgently step up to protect residents. This is no longer the time for speeches, it’s time for concrete action,” said one resident as he looked at the mud-caked remnants of his flooded home.

Beyond material destruction, psychological scars are beginning to set in.

Haunted by fear, families lie awake at night, listening for every rumble of thunder as if it were an alarm bell.

Many victims feel abandoned, and this is fueled by what many perceive as the authorities’ failure to guarantee urban safety.

Citizens are now being urged to remain vigilant, prepare for further rains, and come together to face this collective threat.

Without immediate intervention, Maroua III risks not only having its feet underwater but its head beneath the rubble.

MMI