US aid halt puts displaced persons in Cameroon at risk- warns UNHCR country rep.

The new representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Cameroon Yvette Muhimpundu has sounded the alarm that millions of displaced people in the country face increased hardship due to a temporary funding suspension by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). 

She made this alarm recent in Yaounde. Yvette Muhimpundu opined that this suspension puts essential services like documentation, shelter, healthcare, education, and more at risk. 

In response, the UNHCR has launched intensified fundraising efforts, emphasizing that every contribution counts.

However, the agency hasn't disclosed its current fundraising status, leaving uncertainty about whether it can offset the loss of U.S. funding. 

Cameroon hosts around two million persons of concern to UNHCR, including one million internally displaced persons, 430,000 refugees, and 466,000 IDP returnees. 

The refugees are mainly from the Central African Republic and Nigeria, while internally displaced persons primarily come from Cameroon's Far North, North-West, and South-West regions. 

To address the challenges faced by displaced populations, the Government of Cameroon has introduced a national framework to issue identity documents, including biometric identity cards. 

This initiative aims to provide refugees with legal recognition and access to essential services like healthcare, education, and employment. 

The biometric identification program has already helped provide legal identification to 25,000 refugees in Cameroon. 

However, despite this progress, the success of refugee inclusion efforts remains at risk without continued international support. 

BY SIMON NDIVE KALLA

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Country representative UNHCR in Cameroon, Yvette Muhimpundu

Picture of refugees in Cameroon