By DANIELA NEBA NGUM
The displacement and irrational movement of persons from nearby villages to Kumba as a result of the ongoing war on Anglophone separatists is taking a toll on divisional headquarter, Kumba.
The prices of basic commodities have drastically increased the cost of living in the city as many more displaced people keep flooding from the town from nearby villages.
Households have now been stretched to their limits as they scramble to accommodate the ever increasing number of internally displaced persons driven from their homes because of persistent gunfights between the military and Anglophone separatists groups.
According to Agnes Ayuk who is sharing her home with some affected relatives from villages in Manyu Division her weekly spending on food items has doubled since she took in her relatives.
‘Things are not easy at all, I used to spend FCFA 20,000 per week for food stuffs but now I spend close to FCFA 40,000 and we are still barely coping’, she noted.
One Honorine Wase said the influx of displaced persons has increased food scarcity in Kumba.
‘The situation is just unbearable, there are times when I have the money but cannot find the item to buy in the market’, she lamented.
They noted that the sociopolitical situation in the division has really affected the livelihood of inhabitants since the available food cannot satisfy the ever increasing number of people.
She added that villages in Mbonge Sub-Division such as Kwa-Kwa and Bole Bakundu, noted to produce cassava related food cannot do so because of the war and insecurity in the area.
Many business persons have been accused of taking advantage of the situation to increase the prices of their commodities so as to make more profit.
It should be noted that Kumba the chief town of Meme Division serves as a gateway to other Sub-Divisions and neighbouring Divisions such as Manyu, Kupe Muaneguba and Ndian Divisions that are also affected.