Highlights

 WFP plans to assist 80,000 children in the Boko Haram affected areas of the Far North region by introducing an emergency school meals programme in January 2017. The programme will aim to encourage school enrolment, especially for young girls who face risk of early marriages and other protection issues, while improving children's diet and nutrition.

 WFP and the UN launched the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign in November, emphasizing awareness raising for preventing and eliminating violence against women and girls.

WFP  On 16 November, UNHAS celebrated one year of services to the humanitarian community in Cameroon. Country Brief

WFP Assistance EMOP 200799: Supports refugee populations located along the border with C.A.R. (East, Total 6-Month Total Received Net Funding Adamawa and North regions) through food and cash Requirements (in USD) Requirements (in USD) transfers. Children and pregnant and nursing women (in USD)* amongst refugees and host populations receive Emergency Food Assistance to refugees, IDPs, and Host nutrition support aimed at preventing and treating all Populations in the Far North region forms of malnutrition. Additionally, nutrition assistance Regional EMOP 200777 22.4 m (Jan 2015 – Dec 83.2 m 67.7 m is provided to malnourished individuals living with HIV 2016)** (74%) via the Food by Prescription Programme.

Emergency Food Assistance to refugees from C.A.R CP 200330: The Country Programme, implemented in Regional EMOP 200799 16.5 m the northern regions, aims to support the Government's (Jan 2015– Dec 85.6 m 61.8 m 2016)** (95%) efforts in addressing food security and nutrition challenges and mitigates the effects of climate shocks, Country Programme – Providing food security and stability in Cameroon supporting social safety nets and sustainable management of community grain stocks and promoting CP 200330 (Jan 2013 – 6.1 m 1.9 m 21.5 m primary education, especially for girls. Regrettably, Dec 2017) (28%) (100%) activities remain temporarily suspended under the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) Country Programme due to lack of funding.

SO 200895, (Jan 2015 5.7 m 7.1 m N/A UNHAS 200895: The UN Humanitarian air service – Dec 2016) (80%) operation ensures access and safe and reliable air *December 2016 – May 2017 **Budget revision to extend project is underway. transport services for 37 humanitarian agencies in Cameroon. The flights link , Ngaoundere and Conflicts in both and from its base in Yaoundé, as well as N’Djamena (C.A.R.) have displaced thousands of people into in . Cameroon, and the spillover from Boko Haram’s 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, to internally displaced people (IDPs) and targeted local populations, WFP is In Numbers supporting the Government in the implementation of its development and recovery priorities in the 2.6 million people food-insecure structurally poor northern part of the country. (including refugees) EMOP 200777 : This Emergency Operation addresses critical food and nutrition needs of crisis-affected 360,000 refugees and 180,000 IDPs households in areas of the Far North region impacted 49% by the Lake Chad Basin crisis, including Nigerian 467,000 51%

refugees, IDPs and targeted vulnerable local People Assisted populations. From 2017, WFP plans to gradually shift November 2016 assistance towards recovery activities, working in convergence with the Government and partner agencies. Main Credit: WFP/Frisha Ngu

Photo Caption: School children in Cameroon’s Far North Region. November 2016

Operational Updates Country Background & Strategy WFP continues to respond to the needs of refugees, IDPs, and other vulnerable groups in Cameroon’s Far North and eastern regions through a mix of in-kind food distributions, cash-based transfers and nutrition support activities .

 Food Assistance: In November, WFP assisted 167,000 Nigerian refugees, IDPs and vulnerable local populations in the Far North region and 132,000 C.A.R refugees in the eastern regions with in-kind food and cash transfers. In addition, 45,000 IDPs and C.A.R refugees received cash-based transfers through WFP’s mobile money platform.

 Nutrition: Scale up of nutrition programmes continue. In November, activities were expanded to two new health districts in the Far North region, reaching 84,000 children 6-23 months. In the eastern regions, the programmes target 40,000 children 6-23 months. Distribution of supplementary nutritious food are coupled with health services packages, including vaccinations, deworming and vitamin A supplementation, implemented in collaboration with UNICEF, the Health Ministry and other partners. Nearly 40 percent of Cameroon’s 22 million people live below the poverty line and human development indicators  In the Far North region, WFP monitoring results remain low. Poverty has a strong regional dimension continue to show improvements in the food concentrated in North, Far North, Adamaoua and east consumption patterns of IDPs and local populations regions. receiving WFP food assistance. Though the levels remain below the accepted threshold, food consumption scores Cameroon’s northern regions located in the Sahelian band at 61.7 percent amongst the IDP population and 62.9 in which communities have suffered years of successive percent for the vulnerable local population. IDPs natural disasters and below average harvests with little receiving cash transfers report better levels of food means to resist the continuous cycle of shocks and consumption at 96.4 percent, which indicate that cash stresses are the most deprived. Around 1.5 million people transfers may be more effective in ensuring households’ in Cameroon’s Far North region are facing food insecurity, dietary diversity. according to the latest Emergency Food Security Assessment (EFSA). This is slightly higher than the 1.4  Extension of the Emergency Operations is underway million food insecure people in 2015. In the four regions of until December 2017, with emphasis on expanding Adamaoua, East, North and Far North that were surveyed, cash-based programming and recovery support some 2.5 million people are facing “crisis” or “emergency” activities for C.A.R refugees and IDPs in protracted levels of food insecurity. Adamaoua, North and Far North displacement situations. are the most affected.

Similarly, the Standardized Monitoring Assessment of relief  Assessments: WFP, FAO and the Government carried and Transitions (SMART) survey conducted by UNICEF in out a joint Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission 2015 indicates an increase in malnutrition rates, especially (CFSAM) in mid-November to assess the 2016 crop in the Far North, compared to results from 2013 and 2014. year, food availability and market conditions in Furthermore, stunting is a major public health issue in Cameroon’s four most vulnerable regions: the East, northern Cameroon, well above the WHO critical threshold. Adamawa, North and Far North. Preliminary findings are expected by mid-December. Through the implementation of a coherent country

portfolio of relief, recovery and development assistance Challenges activities in Cameroon, WFP aims to reduce the impact of  Due to critical funding shortfalls, WFP continued to humanitarian crisis and support the government’s efforts distribute reduced rations to the C.A.R refugees in in achieving zero hunger. November, amounting to 50 percent of the initial food WFP has been present in Cameroon since 1978. basket value. In the Far North region, delays in food arrivals meant that stocks were insufficient to fully 2015 Human Development Index: Population: 22 million cover November distributions. As a result, IDPs and 153 out of 187 local populations were served a food basket without , while the refugees received a rice ration reduced Chronic malnutrition: 35.8% of Income Level: Lower middle by 50 percent. WFP plans to distribute full rations to all children between 6-59 months targeted populations with the expected arrival of new commodities in early December. Major Donors  The suspension of UN missions along the national road N1 between Mora-Kousseri (Far North region) is USA, UK, EU, Japan, UN CERF, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Canada, negatively impacting the implementation of project France, Switzerland, Finland, Luxembourg, Cameroon. activities across sites in the Logone and Chari

department. Contact info: Sofia Engdahl ([email protected]) Country Director: Abdoulaye Balde WFP Cameroon Country Brief Further information: http://www.wfp.org/countries/cameroon November 2016