Cameroon Humanitarian Update - March 2026

Cameroon humanitarian response under pressure amid significant funding gaps

The humanitarian situation in Cameroon continues to be driven by concurrent crises, the Lake Chad Basin conflict, the crisis in the North-West and South-West regions, and the impact of the influx of Central African refugees in the East, Adamawa and North regions. New, multiple, or prolonged displacements, combined with limited access to basic goods and insufficient resources, severely deteriorate the wellbeing and living conditions of the population, including internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, refugees, and host communities.

In the Far North region, persistent cross-border attacks originating from Nigeria and insecurity linked to the activities of non-state armed groups (NSAGs), combined with climate shocks, further weaken already fragile communities. In the North-West and South-West regions, ongoing violence between NSAGs and state security forces (SSF) continues to drive recurrent displacement, disrupt livelihoods and restrict access to basic services. Meanwhile, the East, Adamawa and North regions continue to host hundreds of thousands of refugees from the Central African Republic, putting additional pressure on overstretched social services.

This combination of insecurity, natural hazards, and socio-economic vulnerability has sustained high levels of food insecurity across several regions, while acute malnutrition among children under age five remains a serious concern. Access constraints, poor infrastructure and administrative impediments further limit humanitarian actors to reach people in need, leaving some communities without regular assistance.

In 2026, 2.9 million people need humanitarian assistance in crises-affected regions in Cameroon. Humanitarian partners aim to assist 1.9 million most vulnerable people and require US$319 million.
Despite persistent and overlapping humanitarian needs, funding has dropped to its lowest level in 12 years, falling by 51 per cent in 2025 alone placing millions at risk.

As of 31 March 2026, only 20 per cent of the Humanitarian Response Plan is funded, leaving a $253 million gap and severely constraining life-saving operations across critical sectors. Funding levels for most of the sectors are significantly behind those recorded at the same period in 2025, confirming a continued downward trend. The funding shortfall is particularly acute in key life-saving sectors: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) is funded at just 2 per cent, Food Security at 4 per cent, Shelter and Non-Food Items at 5 per cent, while Education (6 per cent) and Nutrition (8 per cent) also remain critically underfunded. These gaps are directly constraining the delivery of essential assistance to affected populations.

These figures follow a particularly challenging response in 2025, marked by severe funding shortfalls, with the Humanitarian Response Plan funded at only 24 per cent, significantly constraining operations and forcing the humanitarian community to reassess its priorities.

As the humanitarian response in Cameroon navigates a period of unprecedented funding constrained, the country is undergoing a humanitarian transition under the Humanitarian Reset. The humanitarian transition consists in moving towards a more localised response, with stronger leadership and coordination by national and local actors and closer engagement with affected communities. The priority is to ensure that this transition strengthens effectiveness and accountability, while maintaining principled coordination and the technical support required to respond to conflict, insecurity and climate related shocks.

The transition, sustained engagement and increased support from donors and partners remain essential. Without additional resources, the ability of humanitarian actors to respond effectively to the multifaceted crises will be severely compromised, leaving hundreds of thousands of people at risk and further eroding community resilience.