Yaoundé - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today welcomes a USD 1.83 million (more than one billion FCFA) contribution from the Government of Japan to provide food and nutrition assistance to over 185,000 children, women and men in the Far North, North, Adamawa, East, North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon.
The contribution from Japan will enable WFP provide school feeding and nutrition support to refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees and host communities. These include children below the age of 5, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and people living with HIV.
"WFP is extremely grateful for the continued generosity of the people of Japan," said Wanja Kaaria, Representative and Country Director of WFP Cameroon. "As we move towards rolling out our 5-year strategic plan, partners like the Government of Japan are more than ever needed to ensure adequate provision of lifesaving and life-changing response in Cameroon".
"This contribution reaffirms the support and solidarity of the Japanese people towards the people in need residing in Cameroon, as well as the host communities", said Mr. OSAWA Tsutomu, the Japanese ambassador to Cameroon. "Concerned about the situation of the most vulnerable, which is aggravated by COVID-19, we decided to extend our assistance through WFP to address the urgent needs of these people. The peace and stability of Africa is one of the main fields of our cooperation. Japan renews its tireless commitments as it is approaching the 8th meeting of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 8) which will take place in 2022".
Cameroon's Far North region, and neighbouring Nigeria, have been plagued by violence, with repeated attacks by non-state armed groups since 2014, resulting in an influx of Nigerian refugees as well as displacements within Cameroon. The East, Adamawa and North regions host high numbers of refugees who have fled violence in the Central African Republic. The socio-political crisis in North West and South West regions of Cameroon has also resulted in displacement and rising food insecurity in both regions since 2017. The 2021 humanitarian Response Plan for Cameroon outlines that 4.4 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in Cameroon.
