The Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief coordinator (USG/ERC), Martin Griffiths, approved the allocation of US$6mn from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to provide lifesaving and protection assistance to people affected by the humanitarian crisis in Cameroon
In 2022, the humanitarian crises affected nearly 3.9 mn people, with violence and floods forcing many of them to abandon their homes. These forced displacements increased protection risks, loss of livelihoods and food insecurity in the affected regions.
The humanitarian response in Cameroon continues to be severely underfunded, depriving thousands of people of vital humanitarian assistance. The humanitarian coordinator in Cameroon, Matthias Z Naab stated that the allocation would therefore support the people most in need in the far north, north-west, and south-west regions through protection and shelter services as well as food and nutrition assistance.
The projects funded by CERF will be implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP).
Moreover, the concerned agencies will work in close collaboration with national NGOs which have better access to hard-to-reach areas. Karen Perrin, head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Cameroon said that partners would remain mobilised to provide multi-sectoral assistance to a majority of the vulnerable population, despite the difficulties faced in accessing these areas.
