Helping traumatized children heal from war

Cameroon, Zamalya. Across Cameroon, about one million people have been internally displaced by violence, including attacks on schools and health centres, with over 11,000 protection incidents reported in 2024. Cameroon also hosts 500,000 refugees and 658,000 returnees.

Lawana, only 8 years old, saw fighting in his city. He grew quiet, not speaking or talking with other children, his mother said. In the same village, Djessoua, aged 10, was injured fleeing an attack. He was unable to attend school or see his friends, driving him into depression.

Meanwhile, Madeleine, a grandmother in nearby Gorai, took in three foster children who had lost their parents in the aftermath of violence. She struggled to make ends meet and keep the children properly fed and in school.

In 2024, it was estimated that 3.4 million people in Cameroon needed humanitarian assistance due to armed violence, natural disasters, and poor access to basic services.

Children like Lawana and Djessoua have to deal with their trauma without much formal assistance. Meanwhile, the adults who support them – like Madeleine – struggle to look after them. Humanitarian organizations are providing life-saving assistance to ease the suffering, complementing the efforts of affected communities and the government.

OCHA’s Central Emergency Response Fund allocated $7 million from its Underfunded Emergencies window to address people’s most acute humanitarian needs in the conflict-affected regions of the far north, north-west and south-west of Cameroon.

Thanks to a psychosocial support programme funded by CERF, Lawana was able to attend weekly counseling and art therapy sessions run by Cameroonian organizationAARDHU. After three months of therapy, he began to enjoy life again: laughed, played with other children, and was preparing to return to school.

The same funding helped Djessoua access orthopedic equipment, psychological help, and access to education.

And Madeleine, along with 150 other foster families, received a small business start-up kit, including seed funding, to open a neighbourhood shop and support her family.

Lawana and Djessoua are just two of the 2,000 children supported in 2024 through this multisectoral approach: overall, CERF funding helped deliver assistance to nearly 331,000 people in Cameroon – people doing their best to survive and rebuild in the aftermath of violence.

Posted June 2025

Based on an original story from OCHA

More information on this CERF allocation

Pooled Fund impact stories