SITUATION OVERVIEW
Cameroon continues to be impacted by three complex humanitarian crises: the Lake Chad basin conflict, the North-West and South-West (NWSW) crisis, and the Central African Republic (CAR) refugee crisis.
In 2022, 3.9 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection. Violence related to the presence of and fight against armed groups, intercommunity conflicts, natural disasters, and epidemics, exacerbate the vulnerability and affect the resilience and the recovery capacity of people living in Cameroon. Out of the 3.9 million people in need of assistance, 2.6 million people are targeted by the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) and US$ 376 million are required to provide life-saving assistance and protection, as well as support livelihood and resilience building.
As of 30 September 2022, over 2 million people were displaced within Cameroon, as internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees or returnees. The country counts almost 1 million IDPs and about 548,000 returnees, mainly in the NWSW and Far North regions. Also, Cameroon is hosting over 481,000 refugees and asylum seekers, including about 352,000 refugees from CAR and 136,000 from Nigeria.
The multi-sectoral needs assessment, which was carried out in the Far North in July 2022, confirmed that food is the priority need for the host community. Meanwhile, shelter was identified as the priority need for the displaced population, followed by health and drinking water. The population in the Far North has since been affected by the heavy rains, which started mid-August. As of 30 September, over 88,500 people (15,330 households) were affected by the flooding. The Logone et Chari and Mayo-Danay divisions were most affected. Two persons were reportedly killed by the floods and 95 injured. More than 9,410 shelters were damaged or destroyed, over 3,000 animals killed or washed away, 190 water points and 535 latrines submerged and 126 school structures flooded, depriving almost 39,000 children of access to education. A dozen health facilities are completely flooded and therefore non-operational. The impact and damage are highly likely to increase in October, as rains continue, rivers rise and the risk of other dikes breaking increases.
The situation in the NWSW remains tense with continued violence, including intercommunal clashes, and targeted attacks, abductions, kidnappings, killings, unlawful arrests, and destruction of property. The civilian population, as well as education and healthcare providers in particular, continue to be under high risks when accessing facilities or delivering services. On 15 July, an international medical NGO issued a statement in which it announced the suspension of its operations in the SW as of 1 August, due to administrative constraints and the lack of safety for its staff. Protection, drinking water, food, health, and education are the most acute needs of the affected populations.
The number of Central African refugees located in the eastern regions of Cameroon, has increased from 329,000 in June 2022 to almost 333,000 in September 2022. Meanwhile, as of 18 August, the voluntary return of over 1,500 CAR refugees was facilitated.
Combined with the impact of climate change and COVID-19, the global consequences of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis have triggered an increase in the prices of basic foodstuffs in Cameroon since the beginning of the year. This is particularly affected by disruptions in wheat flour and fertilizer supply chains.
Disclaimer
- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
- To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.