Cameroon

Drought and inconsistent rainfall led to decreased agricultural production in Cameroon and an estimated cereal shortfall of nearly 50,000 metric tons following the 2011 harvest, according to the U.N. World Food Program (WFP).  Food shortages have been particularly severe in Cameroon’s North and Far North regions, where the prevalence of acute malnutrition among children under five years of age exceeded the U.N. World Health Organization’s critical threshold level of 10 percent.  Food insecurity due to limited food availability and high food prices may affect up to 400,000 people in northern Cameroon, according to WFP.  During a mid-May USAID Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) assessment mission, staff noted chronic food production deficits in areas of the Far North Region and an urgent need to address acute malnutrition in affected regions. 

On June 7, U.S. Ambassador Robert P. Jackson declared a disaster for food insecurity in Cameroon. 

USG HUMANITARIAN FUNDING PROVIDED IN FY 2012

^*This figure includes funding for both disaster response and disaster risk reduction activities. (As of September 14, 2012)

Sahel Food Insecurity and Complex Emergency Fact Sheet #16 (417kb PDF) and map (208kb PDF)

Key Developments

To combat acute malnutrition in Cameroon, USAID/OFDA is providing $1 million to the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for nutrition and water, sanitation, and hygiene activities in the north. The program aims to expand coverage of acute malnutrition treatment programs and provide health facilities with essential medicines, equipment, and supplies. To reduce the spread of cholera, which can worsen acute malnutrition, USAID/OFDA is also supporting UNICEF’s efforts to increase the availability of safe drinking water and improve sanitation conditions and hygiene practices in affected areas.

In addition, USAID’s Office of Food for Peace (USAID/FFP) provided more than $1 million in emergency food assistance to these food-insecure populations in Far North Region.