The 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan requires US$ 407.3 million to support 2.7 million most vulnerable people in Cameroon

The Government of Cameroon and the humanitarian community in Cameroon jointly launched the 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) to address the immediate and urgent needs of 2.7 million of the most vulnerable people in Cameroon. The 2023 HRP requires US$407.3 million to provide protection services and life-saving assistance to people suffering from the effects of violence, natural disasters, climate shocks, and disease outbreaks.

Cameroon continues to be impacted by conflict in the Lake Chad basin, violence in the North-West and South-West regions, and the impact of the Central African Republic (CAR) crisis in the eastern regions (East, Adamawa, and North). As a result of these crises and disasters, as well as the deterioration of the global economy, 4.7 million people need humanitarian assistance across the country. This figure represents one out of six people living in Cameroon.

Women and children constitute 77 per cent of people in need of humanitarian assistance, a clear sign of the heavy price they pay as a result of the crises. Moreover, an estimated 3 million people are facing acute food insecurity in 2023 and more than 2 million people are on the move as internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees persons or refugees, many lacking essential services.

Against this background, the humanitarian community will contribute to providing enhanced access to protection, urgent health, food, nutrition, education, shelter, water, sanitation, and hygiene services with a focus on women and children with the most severe needs. Specific needs of men and boys should not be forgotten as well, in particular protection needs.

“Saving lives and providing assistance to the most vulnerable people remain the immediate and most urgent priority”, said Mr. Matthias Z. Naab, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Cameroon. “I urge the international community to provide early, flexible, and sufficient funding,” he added.

The plan aims at reducing the mortality of people affected by the crisis, improving the respect for their fundamental rights, reducing their vulnerabilities, and strengthening their resilience. Throughout the response, the humanitarian actors are committed to ensuring that affected communities are meaningfully and continuously engaged with. Moreover, to reduce vulnerabilities on a large scale and find sustainable solutions, humanitarian and development partners, together with the Government, will further develop synergies of actions.

In 2023, through the Humanitarian Response Plan, humanitarian partners will target 2.7 million people, working to support and complement the Government’s efforts to save lives, protect the most vulnerable, and enable affected people to live safely and with dignity.