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WFP Warns Parts of Cameroon Face Catastrophic Hunger Without $67M Boost

01:44 AM, 12/06/2025
WFP Warns Parts of Cameroon Face Catastrophic Hunger Without $67M Boost

The World Food Programme warned in Yaoundé that parts of Cameroon could face catastrophic hunger without at least $67 million in new funding. More than 3.3 million people need assistance and over 2 million are internally displaced. WFP says funding has fallen from about $106 million in 2022 to roughly $20 million this year, risking the loss of school meals for over 52,000 children and potential closure of five offices. The agency urges immediate support to prevent a dramatic humanitarian setback.

WFP Issues Urgent Appeal as Hunger Risk Escalates in Cameroon

The World Food Programme (WFP) warned in Yaoundé that parts of Cameroon could face catastrophic levels of hunger unless at least $67 million in additional funding is secured. Gianluca Ferrera, the WFP representative covering Cameroon and São Tomé and Príncipe, said gains in fighting hunger are at risk of being reversed without more resources.

“Without this funding, most of the activities that WFP and partners have been implementing will have to stop, bringing forward a number of risks,” Ferrera said.

Multiple Crises, Growing Needs

Cameroon is dealing with several overlapping emergencies: a Boko Haram insurgency in the north, a separatist conflict in the two English-speaking regions, and a steady influx of refugees from the Central African Republic in the east. Combined with climatic shocks, these crises have driven displacement and aggravated food insecurity.

The WFP reports that more than 3.3 million people now require humanitarian assistance and that over 2 million people are internally displaced.

Immediate Program Impacts

Ferrera warned of immediate reductions in services if funding is not replenished: more than 52,000 children could stop receiving school meals beginning in January, operations will be scaled back, and the agency may be forced to close five of its offices in Cameroon. Those cuts would put more than half a million people at risk of losing food and nutrition assistance.

“So we may go backward instead of going forward,” he added.

Funding Shortfall and International Context

Funding for WFP’s Cameroon work has fallen sharply: the agency received about $106 million in 2022, compared with roughly $20 million this year. These shortfalls come amid broader debates over foreign assistance levels in donor countries and shifting international priorities.

Some U.S. policymakers have defended reductions in certain aid programs, while other analysts highlight the long-term impact of development assistance. For example, a study published in The Lancet cited U.S. development programs, including those supported by USAID, as having played a role in preventing millions of deaths during the early 21st century.

What’s Needed

WFP is calling for immediate and sustained funding to avoid sharp reversals in food and nutrition support across Cameroon. Failure to secure the requested resources could force program shutdowns, deepen humanitarian suffering, and hinder recovery efforts.

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