BACKGROUND
Cameroon, once lauded for its relative stability, faces multiple complex and deepening crises today. These include the violence perpetrated by non-state armed groups (NSAGs) in the Far North region, in the Northwest and Southwest regions and turmoil along its porous border with the Central African Republic (CAR). These prolonged conflicts have left close to 3.4 million people in dire need of assistance and protection. These include refugees, internally displaced persons, returnees and asylum seekers. Despite efforts by the Government, humanitarian and development actors, there are growing concerns for the country’s refugees and internally displaced persons (IDP) caught up in the second world’s most neglected displacement crisis.
According to UNHCR, as of April 2024, 476,735 refugees are living in Cameroon. About 3/4 of refugees who fled from the CAR found refuge in the bordering East region of Cameroon, after the explosion of violence 2013. Most of the other refugees in Cameroon are Nigerians displaced by Boko Haram militant attacks, with the majority living in the Minawao refugee camp in the Far North region of the country. The Minawao refugee camp was built for 15,000 refugees but is now home to more than 70,000. Yet, figures are on the rise due to natural population growth, new arrivals from Nigeria in the Far North, and from Chad in the East.
Refugees in Cameroon live in a context of vulnerability accentuated by the impact of the various conflicts, and the effects of the multiple crises around the world, which have totally diverted the attention of public authorities and governments, contributing to household poverty, secondary displacements, risks of gender-based violence, and severe food insecurity.
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