YAOUNDE, Cameroon — The World Food Program (WFP) issued an urgent warning on Friday that catastrophic hunger levels loom over vulnerable populations in Cameroon unless immediate funding of $67 million is secured. This financial shortfall threatens to reverse years of progress in combating food insecurity across the Central African nation.
Gianluca Ferrera, WFP’s Country Representative for Cameroon and Sao Tome and Principe, addressed journalists in the capital Yaoundé, emphasizing that without this critical funding, most ongoing humanitarian operations would face termination. “The suspension of these vital activities would trigger multiple cascading risks,” Ferrera stated, highlighting the precarious situation.
Cameroon currently grapples with what the Norwegian Refugee Council identifies as the world’s most neglected displacement crisis, driven by three simultaneous emergencies: the persistent Boko Haram insurgency in the northern territories, an ongoing separatist conflict in the English-speaking regions, and a continuous influx of refugees fleeing violence in the Central African Republic along the eastern border. These man-made crises, exacerbated by climate-related shocks, have created a perfect storm of displacement and food insecurity.
The humanitarian statistics paint a grim picture: over 3.3 million people require immediate assistance while more than 2 million remain internally displaced. The funding crisis will have immediate consequences—starting in January, approximately 52,000 children will lose access to school meal programs. Additionally, WFP plans to scale down operations significantly, potentially closing five field offices, which would eliminate food and nutrition assistance for over half a million vulnerable individuals.
The funding contrast is stark: in 2022, WFP secured $106 million for Cameroon operations, while current contributions barely reach $20 million. This dramatic reduction occurs against the backdrop of unprecedented cuts to U.S. foreign aid, which totaled $64 billion in 2023 according to comprehensive figures. The previous administration’s closure of USAID was celebrated by some officials, though a July Lancet medical study credited USAID programs with preventing approximately 91 million deaths globally in the first two decades of this century alone.