Attachments
A. SITUATION ANALYSIS
Description of the crisis
Cameroon is facing a deepening food and nutrition insecurity crisis driven by structural poverty, recurrent climate shocks, localised insecurity, displacement, and declining purchasing power. According to Cadre Harmonisé projections (March–October 2025), more than 1.67 million people require food assistance in 2026, while approximately 535,000 need nutrition assistance. Malnutrition among children under five remains severe, with 29% chronic malnutrition, 11% moderate acute malnutrition, and 3.1% severe acute malnutrition. Infant and young child feeding practices are inadequate, with only 32.4% of children aged 6–23 months receiving a minimum acceptable diet.
This operation is informed by a multisectoral food insecurity assessment conducted by the CRC between January and February 2026, covering high-risk divisions across the Far North, North, and East regions. Key findings confirm that household food systems are critically fragile. Overall, 68% of households report no food stocks, with the most acute depletion in Logone-et-Chari (17% with stocks), Kadey (18%), and Mayo-Danay (21%). Market dependence is high across all assessed areas (61–81%), peaking in Logone-et-Chari (81%), Bénoué (79%), Mayo-Sava (73%), and Kadey (73%). Although markets are generally functional, the crisis is primarily driven by eroded purchasing power, rising household debt, and repeated shocks — particularly in Logone-et-Chari, Mayo-Danay, Kadey, and MayoTsanaga.
These findings are consistent with a deteriorating trajectory documented throughout 2025. Between June and August 2025, national projections estimated 2.6 million people (approximately 9% of the population) in IPC Phase 3 or worse. By late 2025, the Food Security Cluster reported 2.5 million people in need, while WFP estimated 3.3 million affected nationwide. In October 2025, a FAO-led assessment in the Far North confirmed severe food access constraints and harmful coping strategies. On 8 November, the African Union warned of intensified drought stress across northern Cameroon, and cholera cases were confirmed in the Doumo Health Area of the North region shortly after. On 25 November, WFP announced reductions in food assistance for refugees, internally displaced people, and vulnerable host communities due to funding shortfalls, further compounding pressure on households with no remaining buffer.
FEWS NET projections (October 2025–May 2026) indicate that large parts of the country will remain in IPC Phase 3 through mid-2026. The CRC assessment provides disaggregated, community-level evidence confirming acute needs across the Far North, North, and East regions, where market dependence is high, food stocks are depleted, and coping capacities are severely eroded.