Cameroon: North-West and South-West Situation Report No.76 - April 2025

­­­­This report is produced by OCHA Cameroon in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It covers the period from 1 to 30 April 2025.

HIGHLIGHTS

• More than 400 children identified with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) received lifesaving treatment.
• More than 32,000 people received education services, but attacks on education and military use of schools disrupted safe learning.
• Volatile security continues to limit safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, particularly in Mezam division.
• Close to 200 protection incidents were recorded, including kidnappings and killings, with services limited due to funding gaps, leaving survivors without vital support.
• Only 48 per cent of community water points are functional in assessed divisions. schools and health facilities face severe WASH infrastructure deficits, increasing disease risk.

SITUATION OVERVIEW / HUMANITARIAN ACCESS

The situation in the North-West and South-West regions (NWSW) remained fragile and volatile, with continuous attacks and confrontations between State security forces (SSFs) and non-State armed groups (NSAGs). Kidnappings for ransom, targeted killings, arbitrary arrests and civilian casualties continued to be reported.

The continuous use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on public roads and in crowded areas remained a threat to the safety of local populations. While several IED-related incidents targeting SSF convoys occurred in both NW and SW regions, on 14 April, an IED detonated at a public market in Nkwen, Bamenda 3 subdivision (NW), targeting civilians defying the Monday ‘ghost town’ restrictions. No civilian fatalities were recorded. Although humanitarian workers are not direct targets, the use of IEDs in highly populated areas and on the main roads poses a risk to the civilian population and humanitarian actors.
Over 12 incidents leading to loss of life were recorded in Mezam division in the North-West region, particularly in Bamenda 2 subdivision. This exacerbated the already insecure and volatile environment and negatively impacted the safe movements of civilians.

Tensions between farmers and herders were recorded in some areas of the NW region, especially in Menchum and Donga Mantung divisions. On 14 April, in Bafmeng (Fungom subdivision), some armed herdsmen threatened farmers, who were forced to flee. Famers continue to face challenges in protecting crops from livestock led to graze on cultivated fields and herders in finding safe corridors. Recurring tensions over grazing land and water resources highlight the ongoing tensions over land use, which are driven by changing climate patterns and a fragile security environment.

Following funding cuts, a number of partners have drastically reduced staffing and operational coverage. Several humanitarian activities across the NWSW had to be reduced or put on hold, such as protection monitoring activities or population movement tracking. Without reliable data, it is difficult to monitor dynamics and trends, and to ensure an adequate, principled and timely humanitarian response.