Garbage piles up in Douala, Cameroon

Authorities of Cameroon’s economic capital, Douala are finding it difficult managing the city’s garbage.

Workers of companies in charge of waste disposal no longer carry out frequent collection and disposal of waste as was the case before.

This situation of garbage piling up in neighbourhoods and markets has been going on for the past two months.

“The garbage stays in front of my restaurant. We do not breathe and the garbage stays there. Let them come and remove this garbage. I have my restaurant, but there are flies everywhere even on the cups. It is so painful. We are tired of seeing this, and we really want to know what is really wrong,” a restaurant owner said.

The company in charge of disposing the garbage, Hysacam, says Cameroon’s government has not paid its bills. The degradation of roads is also making garbage collection an uphill task.

The company has warned that at least 500 tons of garbage are not collected each day and Cameroonian authorities have been advised to intervene so as to resolve the situation.