By Boris Esono Nwenfor
As of 31 December 2025, Cameroon faces a mounting humanitarian crisis, with 3.3 million people in urgent need of assistance and protection services, according to the latest figures from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). While the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) aims to reach 2.1 million of the most vulnerable people, only 1 million have received aid so far, representing just 48 per cent of the target.
Funding for the plan has also fallen short, with US$ 84.5 million received; only 24 per cent of the required US$ 359.3 million. The ongoing crisis is driven by a combination of armed conflict, localised violence, climate shocks, and disease outbreaks, which continue to exacerbate humanitarian needs across the country.
The most affected areas remain the Far North, North West, South West and eastern regions, where the spillover effects of the Central African Republic (CAR) refugee crisis have further strained local communities. Women, girls, men, boys, and people with disabilities have all been affected by these protracted emergencies, often facing multiple or prolonged displacements.
In the Far North region alone, 1.5 million people require humanitarian assistance in 2025. Of these, 961,000 were targeted under the HRP. The region hosts approximately 510,855 internally displaced persons (IDPs), 296,395 returnees, according to the IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) of July 2025, and 125,279 refugees, according to UNHCR figures from August 2025. Residents in this region continue to struggle with limited access to basic goods, essential services, and livelihoods, leaving vulnerable populations at risk of food insecurity, health complications, and further displacement.
Similarly, in the North-West and South-West (NWSW) regions, an estimated 1.1 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance. The 2025 HRP targeted 867,500 individuals, but nearly 335,000 people remain internally displaced. Communities in these regions face ongoing insecurity and restricted movement, which hinders humanitarian actors from reaching those in urgent need. The disruption of social services, combined with infrastructural damage and economic instability, has further compounded the crisis.
Despite these challenges, humanitarian partners have managed to reach approximately 1 million people across the crisis-affected areas of the Far North, North West and South West, and eastern regions since the beginning of the year. However, this represents a significant decrease compared to 2024, when the number of people reached was higher, and the achievement rate against targets stood at 76 per cent. This year’s 48 per cent achievement rate highlights the critical role of funding in ensuring timely and effective aid delivery.
The gap between needs and assistance is largely attributed to insufficient financial resources, as well as operational constraints. Humanitarian actors report that insecurity and limited access to certain areas, particularly in conflict-affected zones, have further restricted their ability to deliver essential services, including food aid, health interventions, shelter, and protection for vulnerable populations.
In addition to these immediate challenges, the cumulative effects of displacement, violence, and natural hazards continue to erode community resilience. The humanitarian situation demands sustained engagement from national authorities, international donors, and humanitarian organisations to bridge the funding gap and expand coverage for those most at risk.
OCHA emphasises that addressing Cameroon’s humanitarian crisis requires coordinated action and adequate funding to protect lives and livelihoods. Without sufficient support, millions of people remain exposed to food insecurity, health risks, and the long-term impacts of displacement.
