Cameroon Situation Report #29 - February 2025

In February 2025, Cameroon continued to experience heightened insecurity, marked by violent incidents, displacement, and widespread humanitarian needs. Attacks by non-state armed groups in the Far North and Anglophone regions, along with violent protests over farmland, triggered casualties, human rights violations, and forced displacements. Over 3.3 million people remain affected by the crisis, including nearly 88,000 pregnant women and over 800,000 women of reproductive age. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugees are among the most vulnerable, facing limited access to essential services, particularly in hard-to-reach or conflict-affected areas.

UNFPA provided critical support across crisis-affected regions, reaching 7,262 people with sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services — 76 per cent of whom were women and girls — and 21,181 people with gender-based violence (GBV) services and information. In the Far North, sensitization efforts and psychosocial activities reached over 1,600 women and girls, while 628 accessed family planning services. However, only 25 per cent of GBV survivors requested and received referrals to medical, security, and psychosocial services. Vulnerable populations remain a key focus of UNFPA’s work, with IDPs accounting for 34 per cent of safe deliveries and 80 per cent of family planning consultations, yet also 44 per cent of neonatal deaths and 89 per cent of reported GBV incidents.

Despite ongoing efforts, the humanitarian response is under severe financial pressure. On 27 February, UNFPA was informed of the termination of United States funding to its programme in Cameroon. This decision, following an initial suspension in January, will reduce UNFPA’s humanitarian response by 50 per cent as of March. The resulting US$2 million shortfall will leave more than 25,000 direct and 116,000 people without access to essential SRH and GBV services. As of the end of February, only 29 per cent of the US$9 million required for UNFPA’s 2025 humanitarian operations in Cameroon has been secured.