Ongoing conflict, organized armed group activity, recurrent climatic shocks, and resulting internal and regional displacement have generated significant humanitarian needs in Cameroon. As a result, an estimated 4.7 million people countrywide required humanitarian assistance in 2023, according to the UN. Nearly 646,000 Cameroonians remained internally displaced in Northwest and Southwest regions by the end of 2023, while an additional 428,000 people remained displaced in the Far North Region. Meanwhile, Cameroon hosts nearly 477,000 refugees displaced by armed conflict, intercommunal violence, and the effects of climate change in neighboring Central African Republic (CAR), according to the UN. The influx of CAR refugees has strained host communities’ response capacity as resources for relief efforts and government-led social services remain limited amid growing needs in other areas of Cameroon. In response, USAID supports the UN World Food Program to provide life-saving food assistance to vulnerable populations across Cameroon. USAID also funds several international nongovernmental organization partners to provide agriculture, health, cash, protection, nutrition, shelter, and water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance to hundreds of thousands of people in the country.
