Highlights
Humanitarian needs have significantly increased in Cameroon’s far north region due to Boko Haram’s protracted violence. Funds are still not meeting requirements.
WFP urgently requires funding to scale up assistance to newly internally displaced populations and ensure operational continuity up to the end of the year.
WFP and UNHCR conducted a Joint Assessment Mission (JAM) in Cameroon’s eastern regions to assess the food security situation and the capacity of C.A.R refugees for self-reliance.
Operational Updates
In July, WFP and partners provided emergency food support to 300,000 people in Cameroon with 4,100 metric tons (mt) of food and USD 600,000 in cash. WFP continues to expand its nutrition preventive programmes across the far north and eastern regions, with the aim of reaching 150,000 young children at risk of malnutrition.
Since June 2016, WFP is supporting cross-border delivery of emergency assistance to northeast Nigeria where access is hampered from within the country. Thus far, 250 mt of food has been transported across the border and distributed to IDPs in Banki. However, insecurity and bad road conditions during the rainy season remain critical challenges for the delivery of assistance.
Preliminary results of the WFP and UNHCR JAM indicate a trend of improved food security conditions amongst C.A.R refugees following two years of continuous humanitarian response. Refugees in official camp settings appear to be better off in terms of food security than those living in host communities, though the latter group reports better access to land with a few of them practicing agricultural activities. The final mission findings, expected in late September, will guide future programming of food assistance and other forms of support for the refugees.
WFP and the Government have completed a strategic review of the food security and nutrition situation in Cameroon to define key humanitarian and development challenges for achieving zero hunger, including gaps in the existing response. The findings and recommendations will be officially presented in early October and will contribute to the Government’s and United Nations’ future planning, defining WFP’s portfolio of assistance in Cameroon for the next five years.