Cameroon: Humanitarian Dashboard (January to June 2023)

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Cameroon continues to be impacted by three complex humanitarian crises: the Lake Chad basin conflict, the North-West (NW) and South-West (SW) crisis, and the Central African Republic (CAR) refugee crisis.

In 2023, an estimated 4.7 million people across the country need humanitarian assistance. The humanitarian assistance and protection services will target 2.7 million of the most vulnerable people in 2023 and require US$407.3 million. As of 30 June, the HRP 2023 was funded with 63.9 M at only 15.7 per cent, leaving thousands of people without lifesaving assistance and protection.

As of 30 June 2023, almost 2.2 million people are displaced within Cameroon, including 1.1 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), 646,000 returnees, and 480,000 refugees and asylum seekers, including about 350,000 refugees from the CAR and 116,000 from Nigeria.

Some 743,000 persons are displaced in the Far North, either as IDPs (427,833), returnees (203,166) or refugees (112,140). During the second quarter of 2023, the security environment remained volatile in the Far North and continued to be characterized by often predatory attacks of non-State armed groups (NSAGs), in addition to kidnappings of civilians. Around 54 civilians were abducted between April and June 2023. Violence and insecurity have led to the displacements of almost 10,000 people between January and June 2023. In the first semester of 2023, the Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM), under the leadership of Première Urgence International (PUI) and Action Contre la Faim (ACF) in partnership with the local NGOs CADEPI and Tammounde Speranza, has conducted seven multisectoral needs assessment in the Mayo-Tsanaga and Logone et Chari divisions and provided an integrated response, including WASH and hygiene kits and shelter, NFI and food assistance, to around 5,600 women, men, girls and boys. Other humanitarian organizations also provided emergency assistance to new displacements. However, important gaps remain, with regards to the Health, Nutrition, Education and Protection sectors which are not covered by the RRM interventions and assistance to over 4,300 persons who have not received any humanitarian aid since their displacement.

Floods affected more than 313,000 people in 2022 in the Far North. According to weather forecasts, heavy rainfall is expected in 2023, raising fears of further flooding in the region this year.

Indeed, the rains started earlier in 2023 than in 2022, with first rains already recorded in April. The torrential rain recorded on 28 April in Kousseri, Logone et Chari division, caused the destruction of a dozen shelters on the IDP site of Makary center. This site is home to 1,816 people who fled insecurity in 2022. Meanwhile, some people who fled the floods in 2022 have still not returned to their areas of origin. On 16 May, a heavy rainstorm destroyed 90 per cent of the shelters and latrines built at the Goré IDP site in the Logone et Chari division, affecting over 3,000 IDPs. The site was put in place in October 2022, hosting more than 6,000 people who had been fleeing because of the floods. The humanitarian community has learned lessons from the management of the 2022 floods and intends to capitalize on them to strengthen the anticipation and management of possible floods in 2023 alongside state authorities.

The situation in the NW and SW regions remained concerning, characterized by violence, leading to civilians being killed, kidnapping for ransom, arbitrary arrests, and destruction of property. Over 375,000 persons are internally displaced within the two regions due to violence while almost 443,000 persons returned as per the multi-sectoral needs assessment (MSNA) of February 2023. Pendular displacement continued to be observed in the two regions.
Almost 19,824 persons displaced temporarily between April and June 2023, often only a few hours or days to nearby bushes or villages, to return once the security situation allowed, while 3,442