Cameroon — humanitarian situation

Cameroon faces compounding humanitarian pressures driven by a cholera outbreak, seasonal flooding, and ongoing displacement dynamics. As of August 12, the national cholera outbreak has reported 1,252 cases and 31 deaths across 11 health districts, with a significant escalation at Minawao Refugee Camp in the Far North Region, where 83 suspected cases including 18 confirmed by rapid diagnostic test were recorded on August 16 IMC. The camp, which hosts approximately 81,000 refugees and operates at 324 percent of intended capacity, faces heightened transmission risk due to overcrowding and multiple suspected transmission chains. Heavy rains have exacerbated conditions, triggering flooding across the Far North Region that affected 742 people in six localities of Logone et Chari OCHA. In the South-West Region, torrential rains on August 5 caused a landslide in Limbe's Mbende and Gardens neighborhoods, killing three women including one pregnant and injuring others IFRC. The Central Emergency Response Fund allocated $1 million to support cholera prevention, treatment, and water and sanitation services targeting 230,000 people, particularly children, refugees, and high-risk border communities OCHA. Cameroon's humanitarian landscape is further strained by funding pressures and ongoing transition planning. The National Humanitarian Forum held in Yaounde on May 26 convened over 140 participants from government, NGOs, UN agencies, and donors to foster strategic alignment on the humanitarian situation and the ongoing transition process OCHA. Regional analysis indicates deteriorating protection capacity, with funding cuts documented between February and April 2026 affecting mine action and child protection programming across 22 country operations including Cameroon (Protection Cluster, UNHCR). Across West and Central Africa, humanitarian access continues to shrink amid escalating violence, with five humanitarian workers killed, nine injured, and 14 kidnapped in 2026, predominantly affecting national staff OCHA. These constraints compound service delivery challenges in a context where protection needs remain acute for refugees, internally displaced persons, and conflict-affected communities, particularly in the Far North, North-West, and South-West regions.