Cameroon

Some 3.4 million people in Cameroon are suffering from the effects of conflict and violence, climate shocks, and disease outbreaks. There are nearly one million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and half a million returnees. The country is also hosting about half a million refugees and asylum seekers. 

The prolonged nature of the Lake Chad basin conflict, the North-West and South-West crisis, and the impact of the Central African Republic refugee crisis are affecting affected populations’ well-being and living conditions. At least 2.5 million people are facing acute food insecurity.

Protection needs are acute: women and girls are at high risk of gender-based violence and men and boys are more exposed to arbitrary arrest and detention, death, and injury. 

It is expected that violence will persist in the most-affected areas in 2024, which, together with the impact of natural disasters and epidemics, will continue to negatively impact access to basic services. Insecurity and physical constraints will continue to render humanitarian access challenging in 2024, especially in the North-West, South-West and Far North regions. Underfunding, however, will remain the most important impediment to reaching people in need.

In the Far North region, the number of IDPs has increased by almost 20 per cent in one year, reaching 454,000 people. Only 40 per cent of the population has access to safe drinking water and more than 600,000 people lack adequate shelter. Hundreds of thousands of children are exposed to critical protection risks, including family separation and school dropout, among others. The region is also hosting nearly 117,000 Nigerian refugees. The main humanitarian needs are protection, food, shelter, non-food items and access to water, sanitation and hygiene services.

The crisis in the North-West and South-West remains characterized by human rights violations and abuses, short-term displacement as well as pendular movements because of violence, fear of attacks, and hostilities between parties. Almost 500,000 people are lacking adequate shelter. Educational facilities, staff and school children continue to be targeted by non-state armed groups and 36 per cent of schools are not functional. There is continuous destruction of houses and farms as well as looting of properties, which limits access of affected people to adequate housing and food. Protection, food security, access to education and drinking water are the most acute needs in these regions.

In 2024, humanitarian partners plan to reach 2.3 million people, which will require US$ 376 million. The response recognizes that each crisis requires its distinct approach. 

In the Far North, response priorities are the protection and assistance to people who have been forcibly displaced due to violence and natural disasters, as well as their host communities, prioritizing new displacements.  There will be also particular attention to promoting and creating conditions conducive to sustainable solutions through coordination with local authorities, communities, peacebuilding, development actors and international financial institutions and by enhancing the participation of displaced persons and host communities in humanitarian programming.

In the North-West and South-West, the protection of people and the provision of emergency assistance and services in protection, food, nutrition, health, water, sanitation and hygiene needs, shelter, and education will continue to be the priority in 2024. To do so, efforts will continue to improve humanitarian access to people and their access to assistance and basic services.