FACT SHEET Cameroon May 2017 Cameroon currently has 639,900 A total of 10,448 Nigerian In regions hosting Central African people of concern, including refugees living in Minawao refugees, the lack of funding 259,145 Central African camp spontaneously returned continued to impact the food refugees and 88,570 Nigerian to towns in north-eastern Nigeria ration basket which remained refugees. during the month of May. reduced by 50%. Population of concern (639,900 as of 31 may) CAR REFUGEES 259,145 NIGERIA REFUGEES 88,570 URBAN REFUGEES* 20,900 ASYLUM SEEKERS* 4,209 IDPS 223,641 IDP RETURNEES** 43,435 *Incl. CAR and Nigerian living in urban areas **Incl. 5,302 Cameroonian Nationals who returned from foreign countries FUNDING (AS OF 31 MAY) USD 94.2 M requested for the Operation Funded 21% 19.6 M Unfunded 79% 74.6 M * 6% funded for CAR situation, representing 2.9 M ** 10% funded for Nigeria situation, representing 3.5 M UNHCR PRESENCE Staff: 237 136 National Staff 56 International Staff 48 UN Volunteers (12 International and 36 National) 7 OFFICES: Branch Office – Yaoundé Sub Offices – Batouri, Meiganga and Maroua Field Offices – Djohong Field Unit – Douala Liaison Office - Bertoua www.unhcr.org 1 FACT SHEET > Cameroon - May 2017 WORKING WITH PARTNERS UNHCR coordinates protection and assistance for refugees in collaboration with: Government Partners: Ministries of External Relations, Territorial Administration and Decentralization, Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Public Health, Women Empowerment and Family, Social Affairs, Justice, Basic Education, Water and Energy, Youth and Civic Education, the National Employment Fund and others, Secrétariat Technique des Organes de Gestion du Statut des réfugiés. Implementing Partners:, Africa Humanitarian Action (AHA), African Initiatives for Relief and Development (AIRD), Agence pour le Développment Economique et Social (ADES), CAMWATER, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), FAIRMED, International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC), InterSos, International Medical Corps (IMC), Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Plan International, Première Urgence - Internationale (PUI) and Public Concern. Operational Partners: ; ICRC, Adventist Relief Agency (ADRA), ASOL and Red Deporte, IEDA Relief, Action Contre la Faim (ACF) and CARE International. UN Agencies: WFP, UNICEF, WHO, UNFPA, UN Women, FAO, UNESCO, IOM, UNDP and UNOCHA Operational coordination: In accordance with the “Joint OCHA-UNHCR Note on Mixed Situations – Coordination in Practice” the responsibility to coordinate the overall humanitarian response in the Far North has been delegated to UNHCR. UNHCR sectors are utilized to deliver assistance to IDPs and other affected groups. All sectors are operational holding regular meetings. Each sector is led by a Government entity and co-led by UN agencies. There is also a bi-monthly UNHCR-chaired Multi-Sector Operations Team meeting in Maroua, bringing together more than 40 humanitarian partners intervening in the region. The response for Central African refugees is managed in line with the Refugee Coordination Model. Sectorial groups have been established by UNHCR, covering the whole operational area. Local authorities have been very engaged in the management of the refugee operation. UN agencies and international NGOs have been instrumental in implementing activities for Central African refugees and host populations. At the capital-level, UNHCR leads the Multi-Sector Operations Team for the Refugee Response and the national Protection Working Group, and actively participates in other relevant humanitarian coordination mechanisms and the Humanitarian Country Team. MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS The security situation in the Far North region remains unstable and of concern. During the month of May, 380 new arrivals from Nigeria were screened at Gourounguel transit center and thereafter registered in Minawao refugee camp. Some had previously settled in the villages of Zhélevet, Double, Tchakarmari, Madaga, Mémé, Mora, Kousseri and Garoua in Cameroon whilst others came directly from the villages of Mubi, Banki, Maiduguri, Pulka and Chinene in Nigeria, seeking family reunification, as well as protection and assistance due to difficult living conditions and the fear of Boko Haram incursions. In the Central African Republic, security incidents were reported in the localities of Niem-yelewa and Bessong, near Banga in Ouaka prefecture caused by elements of the 3R rebel group. This resulted in the movement of civilians to Cameroon. A monitoring mission registered about 147 new Central African asylum seekers (49 households) in Gbiti in the department of the Kadey, East region of Cameroon on 11 May. From 10 to 11 May, UNHCR Cameroon hosted a regional meeting in Douala on the situation of Central African refugees. Also present were participants from CAR, Chad, the DRC, Republic of Congo and headquarters. The last regional meeting had beenheld in November 2015 so it was therefore an opportunity for participants to assess developments made and determine the achievements and challenges of each operation. It was also an opportunity to strategize on how to respond to the CAR situation at the regional level in the absence of a regional response plan for Central African refugees (RRRP) this year. Discussions centered on common issues such as voluntary return, reintegration in CAR, as well as opportunities for local integration and other solutions in countries of asylum. It was recommended that a regional protection meeting, including partners, will take place in the second half of the year to specifically address key protection aspects of the situation. On 30 May, the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development (MINEPAT) and UNHCR launched the Steering Committee for the coordination and monitoring of development interventions for localities hosting refugees in the East, Adamawa and North regions. The Steering Committee stems from the Partnership www.unhcr.org 2 FACT SHEET > Cameroon - May 2017 Agreement on Support for the Development of the Communities hosting Central African Refugees in the East, Adamawa and North Regions signed on 24 October 2016 between the Government of Cameroon and UNHCR. It will provide strategic direction of the activities related to the implementation of a support plan for those municipalities, in order to improve the living conditions of refugees and host populations by reducing pressure on infrastructure and dependence on humanitarian assistance MAIN ACTIVITIES Protection: This month saw yet another wave of spontaneous returns to north-eastern Nigeria. A total of 10,448 returnees were recorded having left Minawao camp between 13-22 May. This brings the number of spontaneous returns to a total of 12,202; this includes the 1,754 that returned in April. Their main areas of return are Banki, Pulka, Mubi and Bama in north-eastern Nigeria. Refugees have been returning on their own accord and by their own means. Information reaching UNHCR indicates that refugees have been swayed to believe that conditions are back to normal in their areas of origin. Refugees have apparently been led to believe that they can safely resume economic activities and are therefore making arrangements to return before the planting season. Authorities in the Far North have been providing security escorts for spontaneous returns. It should be stated clearly that UNHCR is not involved in facilitating or assisting the returns in any manner. Several communication and awareness-raising activities are being conducted to discourage such returns, as the humanitarian situation in Banki is of concern. A delegation of Cameroonian and Nigerian authorities, together with UNHCR Cameroon and Nigeria visited the Far North region from 23 to 26 May to assess the situation. The delegation met with local officials of the Cameroonian administration in Fotokol and the Nigerian army in Gambaru Ngala on the other side of the border in Nigeria. They also exchanged with refugees in Minawao camp, explaining the content of the Tripartite Agreement, as well as the terms and conditions of voluntary repatriation. The mission also provided refugees with information about their return areas and asked them to wait patiently in the camp for appropriate measures to be taken in order to ensure a return in dignity and security. On 9 May, a UNHCR protection and security mission visited Kousseri in the Logone and Chari department in order to discuss with local authorities appropriate protection and assistance measures for newly-arrived Nigerian refugees in Labado / Dabanga and Madina / Waza. On 13 May, 499 individuals (96 households) were screened in Dabanga and Madina, and given UNHCR identification bracelets. Three days later, 430 of them were returned to Gambaru in Nigeria by Cameroonian military authorities, despite discussions already underway for their transfer to Minawao camp. UNHCR continues to advocate with authorities and manage relations to ensure access to asylum. Documentation: The biometric verification and registration exercise for Central African refugees and asylum seekers living in the regions of East, Adamawa and North has ended with 18,929 individuals registered in May in the localities of Sandji II, Mandjou and Garoua Boulaï in the East region. A total of 213,782 refugees (112,994 women and 100,788 men) have been biometrically verified since the beginning of the operation in February 2016. New figures will be made available as soon as consolidation and statistical analysis of the data are completed. This exercise aims