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WFP Cameroon Country Brief

WFP Assistance

Highlights

According to WFP recent monitoring results, the food

consumption level of vulnerable populations in the Far

North region has deteriorated with the start of the

lean season and following six months of reduced food

assistance. With new donor funding confirmed, WFP is

making efforts to reinstate full food rations in August

for all targeted groups in the Far North region.

WFP and the Government are planning to launch a

Cost of Hunger in Africa (COHA) study in Cameroon to

examine the social and economic impacts of child

undernutrition on health, education and overall productivity in the country.

Total

Requirements

(in USD)

Total

Received

(in USD)

6-Month

Net Funding

Requirements

(in USD)*

Emergency Food Assistance to Nigerian refugees, IDPs, and

Host Populations in the Far North region

Regional EMOP 200777

(Jan 2015 Dec 2017)

142 m 104.4

m

6 m (60%)

Emergency Food Assistance to refugees from C.A.R

Regional EMOP 200799 (Jan 2015 Dec 2017)

121 m 81.5 m 2.9 m

Country Programme Providing food security and stability in

Cameroon

CP 200330 (Jan 2013

Dec 2017)

21.5 m 6.5 m (30%)

0.6 m (100%)

UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS)

SO 200895 (Jan 2015

Dec 2016)

11.5 m 8.7 m (76%)

N/A

* August 2017 - January 2018

Conflicts in both Nigeria and Central African Republic

(C.A.R.) have displaced thousands of people into

Cameroon, and the spill-over from Boko Haram

attacks in Nigeria has provoked a humanitarian crisis

in the Far North region. WFP responds to these

simultaneous crises in Cameroon through a mix of

relief, recovery and development activities. In

addition to its ongoing emergency responses for

refugees from C.A.R. and Nigeria, internally

displaced people (IDPs) and targeted local populations, WFP aims to support the Government in

the implementation of its development and recovery

priorities in the structurally poor northern part of the

country.

Children and pregnant and nursing women amongst

refugees and host populations receive nutrition

support aiming at preventing and treating all forms of malnutrition. Additionally, nutrition assistance is

provided to malnourished individuals living with

HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral treatment via the Food by

Prescription Programme. In convergence with the

Government and partner agencies, WFP is gradually

shifting assistance towards early recovery activities for

vulnerable local populations and IDPs in protracted

displacement situations.

EMOP 200777: Addresses critical food and nutrition

needs of crisis-affected households in areas of the Far

North region affected by the Lake Chad Basin crisis,

including Nigerian refugees, IDPs and targeted

vulnerable local populations.

EMOP 200799: Supports refugee populations located

along the border regions of Cameroon with C.A.R. (East, Adamawa and North regions) through food and cash transfers.

CP 200330: Implemented in the northern regions, the

Country Programme aims to support the Government efforts in addressing food security and nutrition

challenges, and mitigates the effects of climate shocks,

supporting social safety nets and sustainable

management of community grain stocks and promoting

primary education, especially for girls. Regrettably,

activities remain temporarily suspended due to lack of

funding.

UNHAS 200895: Ensures access and safe and reliable

air transport services for 57 humanitarian agencies in

Cameroon. The flights link Maroua, Ngaoundere and

Garoua from its base in Yaound, as well as NDjamena

in Chad.

Credit: WFP/ Fri Ngu Caption: C.A.R. refugee mother and her son in the Mbile Camp Cameroons East Region.

July 2017

497,000 People Assisted July 2017

In Numbers

2.6 m people food insecure (including refugees)

347,715 refugees and 223,641 IDPs

49% 51%

WFP Cameroon Country Brief July 2017

Operational Updates

In July, WFP and partners provided emergency food support to some 360,000 vulnerable people in Cameroon

with 3,400 mt of food and USD 1 million in cash transfers. Since April there has been a decline in the Nigerian refugee population in the Minawao camp due to

continuous returns to locations in Northeast Nigeria. There has been a 30 percent decrease in the refugee population (from 61,000 people in March to 41,000 in July).

Recent clashes in C.A.R. caused new waves of refugees

to flee across the border, mainly into the villages of Mbaiboum and Helbao in Cameroons northern region. UNHCR identified 6,885 new refugees in these locations and WFP is working with UNHCR and other humanitarian

partners to provide food and other assistance to these refugees who are mostly women and children in critical need.

With new donor contributions, WFP plans to resume distribution of complete (100 percent) food rations to all targeted populations in the Far North region in August,

following seven months of ration cuts (75 percent) resulting from funding shortages. In the eastern regions, where funding levels remain critical, the ration cuts are likely to continue, though a slight augmentation from a 60 percent to a 75 percent food basket is foreseen for the C.A.R. refugees.

According to WFPs most recent monitoring results, the food consumption of vulnerable populations in the Far North region seems to have deteriorated with the start of the lean season and following months of reduced food assistance. The proportion of people with a poor food consumption score increased from 9.2 percent in April to

14.2 percent in June.

WFP continues to provide preventive nutrition support to 140,000 children aged 6-59 months with fortified

blended food coupled with health services packages, including vaccinations, deworming and vitamin A

supplementation.

WFP and the Government are planning to launch a Cost of Hunger in Africa (COHA) study in Cameroon to examine the social and economic impacts of child undernutrition on health, education and overall

productivity in the country. Together, WFP and the Government are seeking to mobilize USD 200,000 to cover the financial aspects of the study.

Challenges

In July, an upsurge in insecurity and insurgent attacks in the Far North region resulted in delays in WFP implementation schedule and suspension of some UN missions in the affected areas.

Heavy rains continue to hamper road access to some distribution sites. WFP is distributing two months food rations to remotely located sites to secure food supply for vulnerable refugees and IDPs.

Country Background & Strategy

Forty (40) percent of Cameroons 23.7 million people live

below the poverty line and human development indicators remain low. Poverty has a strong regional dimension concentrated in North, Far North, Adamaoua and east regions.

Cameroons northern regions located in the Sahelian band in which communities have suffered years of successive

natural disasters and below average harvests with little means to resist the continuous cycle of shocks and stresses are the most deprived. According to the latest Emergency Food Security Assessment (EFSA 2016), 1.5 million people in Cameroons Far North region are facing food insecurity, this is slightly higher than the 1.4 million food insecure people in 2015. In the four regions of

Adamaoua, East, North and Far North that were surveyed, 2.5 million people are facing crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity. Adamaoua, North and Far North are the most affected.

The Standardized Monitoring and Assessment of Relief and Transitions SMART survey conducted by UNICEF in 2016 indicated a slight improvement in the nutrition situation compared to the 2015 survey, though it remains of concern. Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rates in the

Logone and Chari division of the Far North region stood at 10.9% while that of the other five divisions of the Far North stood at 6.4 percent. In East and Adamaoua regions the GAM rates were respectively 4 percent and 6 Percent. Stunting is a major public health issue in northern Cameroon, well above the WHO critical threshold.

Through the implementation of a coherent country portfolio of relief, recovery and development assistance activities in Cameroon, WFP aims to reduce the impact of

humanitarian crisis and support the governments efforts in achieving zero hunger.

WFP has been present in Cameroon since 1978.

WFP has been present in Cameroon since 1978.

Chronic malnutrition: 31 of

children between 6-59 months

Major Donors USA, UK, EU, Japan, UN CERF, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Canada, France, Switzerland, Finland, China.

2015 Human Development Index:

153 out of 188

Income Level: Lower middle

Contact info: Sofia Engdahl (sofia.engdahl@wfp.org)

Country Director: Abdoulaye Bald

Further information: www.wfp.org/countries

Population: 23.7 million

http://www.wfp.org/countries