Cameroon has been experiencing a cholera outbreak since October 2021. Although the number of reported cases was relatively low between late November 2022 and March 2023, there has been a significant increase since 27 March, particularly in Centre region, making it the new epicentre of the epidemic. The epidemic has since mostly affected Centre, Littoral, South, and West regions, with new cases reported in 29 out of 58 districts countrywide.

This report aims to explore the impact of extreme weather and climate events on the humanitarian situation in the Lake Chad Basin. Since the 1970s in West and Central Africa, river floods and agricultural and ecological droughts have been increasing while average rainfall has been decreasing. These phenomena have an impact on availability of resources and land, and consequently on the economic and living conditions of the regions’ populations.

This report consolidates information from a wide range of available secondary data sources on the Anglophone crisis in Cameroon, including UN agencies, NGOs, the World Bank, media, and key informant interviews conducted in November 2020 and February 2021. Prior to publication, the report was shared with external partners working in Cameroon to cross-check information. 

Cameroon has 54 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Central Region, Littoral Region and West Region as of 23 March 2020. Cameroon’s Ministry of Public Health has developed a preparedness plan for COVID-19, including active surveillance at points of entry, in-country diagnostic capacity at the national reference laboratory, and designated isolation and treatment centres. 

Parliamentary and municipal elections scheduled for 9 February 2020 are intensifying an escalation of the Anglophone crisis in Cameroon. On 7 January 2020, fighters from the Ambazonian separatist group burned down the Elections Cameroon office in Misaje commune, Donga Mantung division in Northwest region. The action was to reiterate their earlier decision not to participate in legislative and municipal council elections scheduled for 9 February 2020.

This report provides four different perspectives on the global humanitarian situation. Within these pages you will find a comparative analyses of 14 of the major humanitarian situations; an analysis of three highly complex and evolving regional crises; and a spotlight on three severe crises that did not get sufficient attention in 2019. Finally, we have identified a number of risks that may lead to a significant deterioration of particular crises in 2020. 

On 1 October, the Logone River overflowed, flooding a valley in Zina district, located within Logone-et-Chari department of Far North region. According to one source, flooding restricted access to several villages within the valley, although the exact name or number of villages is not confirmed. Populations within the commune of Zina have been forced to leave villages, although the scale of displacement from the floods is not clear. 

Since 1 July, 123 suspected cholera cases have been reported in Cameroon’s Far North region, including seven deaths. Kaélé, Kar-Hay and Moutourwa health districts (HD) of the Mayo Kani division in Far North are affected, with the majority (93) of cases reported from Kaélé HD. Far North and neighbouring North region are highly susceptible to cholera, owing to poor hygiene practices, limited access to drinking water, and high population movement linked to the Boko Haram insurgency in the Lake Chad basin.

At least 35,000 people from Nigeria – the majority of whom are women, children, and the elderly – have sought refuge in Cameroon from repeated Boko Haram attacks after security forces left Rann town on 27 January. Most of the population left with them, heading towards nearby Goura town, Far North region, Cameroon where they have settled in makeshift camps and are in need of shelter. 

On 7 October, presidential elections in Cameroon were accompanied by electoral related violence in the anglophone regions of Northwest and Southwest. The new violence is likely to have displaced more people, which would add to the estimated number of 246,000 that were displaced as of August 2018 since the beginning of the crisis in 2017. The newly displaced are likely to be in need of food, shelter, health and wash assistance.

Just weeks before the presidential election scheduled for 7 October, thousands of people have begun to flee the Southwest and Northwest regions, fearing an escalation of violence as clashes between secessionists and the army intensify.