The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a contribution of EUR 4.2 million from the European Union (EU) through the EU's Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations Department (ECHO) to strengthen WFP response to the emergency food needs of 598,000 people in the northwest and southwest regions of Cameroon. WFP is providing life-saving food assistance to more than 300,000 women, men and children affected by the conflict in both regions.
“The funding could not have come at a more crucial moment, as we are ramping up our assistance to meet increasing food needs in these regions where 1.1 million people are food insecure. As we roll out our 2022-2026 Country Strategic Plan, partners like the EU are vital to our efforts to address the food needs of the most vulnerable food insecure people affected by conflict, climate change and rising costs,” said Wanja Kaaria, WFP Representative and Country Director in Cameroon.”
The EU funds helped WFP provide both in-kind food including rice, pulses, oil, and salt, and cash assistance in areas where both security and markets conditions allow people to access a variety of food commodities in markets.
The Northwest and Southwest (NWSW) regions of Cameroon continue to face growing humanitarian challenges as violent clashes and insecurity remain widespread. Over one million people were severely food insecure between October and December 2022 (Cadre Harmonisé, October 2022), compared to 978,000 people between June and August in 2022. With recent food price rises linked to the conflict in Ukraine, the number of people needing food assistance in the Northwest and Southwest regions is expected to increase further.
WFP is facing a crucial funding gap of US$ 28 million from January to June 2023 to adequately meet the food and nutrition needs of around one million vulnerable communities and persons displaced by conflict, climate change and rising costs in the Northwest and Southwest, Far North, East, Adamawa, and North regions of Cameroon.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Food Programme (WFP).
