The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that more than half a million people in Cameroon, including refugees and vulnerable communities, face losing critical food assistance in the coming weeks as funding shortfalls reach alarming levels. The warning is contained in a press statement dated August 19, 2025.
Half a Million People at Risk
According to WFP, without immediate new resources, life-saving food aid will be cut at the end of August for more than 240,000 people who fled conflict within Cameroon. Nutrition support for over 200,000 children and mothers will also be suspended, while school meal programmes for 60,000 children will stop.
“We have reached a critical tipping point,” said Gianluca Ferrera, WFP’s Country Director in Cameroon. “Without immediate funding, children will go hungry, families will suffer, and lives will be lost.”
Assistance Already Reduced
Food aid reductions have already begun. In July, WFP halted assistance for 26,000 Nigerian refugees in the Minawao camp in northern Cameroon due to depleted resources. Refugees from the Central African Republic in the Gado camp in eastern Cameroon are now receiving only half of their daily food needs.
These cuts are forcing families to adopt coping strategies such as skipping meals or selling possessions to buy food.
Progress Under Threat
So far in 2025, WFP has reached 523,000 people in Cameroon, including displaced families, refugees from Nigeria and the Central African Republic, and vulnerable host communities. Nearly 300,000 women and children have also benefited from school meals and nutrition programmes.
According to WFP, these interventions have played a key role in stabilising communities, improving childhood nutrition, and supporting education.
However, Ferrera cautioned that without immediate funding, these gains could quickly unravel.
“These cuts will worsen food security in the short term but also have long-term implications for the country,” he said. “Cutting school meals will likely reverse hard-won gains in education, including school attendance and retention.”
Rising Food Insecurity in Cameroon
Cameroon already faces significant levels of food insecurity. The March 2025 Cadre Harmonisé food security analysis projected that 2.6 million people would experience acute food insecurity between June and August 2025. This represents a 6 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
The Far North and Northwest regions account for the largest share of the affected population.
Urgent Call for Funding
To continue providing life-saving assistance between August 2025 and January 2026, WFP urgently requires US$65.5 million.
The agency stressed that immediate support is essential to prevent further deterioration of food security and to safeguard progress made in education, nutrition, and community stability.
