Cameroon receives US$ 6 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for the urgent needs of people affected by humanitarian crises

Yaounde, 10 November 2023 – The Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator (USG/ERC), Martin Griffiths, approved the allocation of US$6 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to support the humanitarian response to the needs of the most vulnerable population in Cameroon.

“Underfunding of humanitarian aid is depriving hundreds of thousands of people, already facing violence, displacement, disasters and epidemics, of lifesaving assistance and protection services,” the Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim, Mr. Siaka Coulibaly said. As of 10 November 2023, only 27 per cent of the Humanitarian response Plan 2023 has been funded.

“It is a cruel reality that in many humanitarian operations, aid agencies are scraping along with very little funding right at a time when people’s needs compel them to scale up. Thanks to the generosity of a vast range of donors, we can count on CERF to fill some of the gaps. Lives are saved as a result. […] This is a fund by all and for all”, Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, said.

The crises in Cameroon affect 4.7 million people, including internally displaced persons, returnees, refugees and asylum seekers. This allocation will support the most vulnerable people in hard-to-reach areas in the Far North, North-West, and South-West regions. These populations will benefit from nutrition, shelter/non-food items, water, hygiene, and sanitation assistance and protection, including gender-based violence and child protection services.

In order to strengthen timely access to vulnerable populations and sustainability of humanitarian assistance, the allocation will have a strong focus on the work of and collaboration with national NGOs in affected areas.

For more information, please contact:

Karen Perrin, Head of Office, OCHA Cameroon, perrink@un.org
Bibiane Mouangue, Public information officer, OCHA Cameroon, bibiane.mouangue@un.org

Press releases from OCHA are available at www.unocha.org/rowca and www.reliefweb.int

Cameroon Humanitarian Response Plan 2023 and Humanitarian Needs Overview 2023 are available at www.reliefweb.int

Notes to editors

About the CERF: The CERF is a humanitarian funding mechanism established in 2006 by the United Nations General Assembly and is managed by OCHA to enable a more rapid and effective response to the vital needs of populations affected by natural disasters, armed conflicts, or underfunded crises. In 2022, the CERF 2022 has allocated US$1.7 million for urgent response to the cholera outbreak in Cameroon.

About OCHA: The mission of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is to coordinate the global emergency response to save lives and protect people in humanitarian crises. We advocate for effective and principled humanitarian action by all, for all.