Japan boosts life-saving food assistance as funding crisis threatens 600,000 people in Cameroon

This support comes at a critical time, as worsening food insecurity and severe funding shortfalls threaten to leave nearly 600,000 people without life-saving assistance.

"Japan's contribution comes at a decisive moment," said Gianluca Ferrera, WFP Representative and Country Director in Cameroon. "Food insecurity is rising. Climate shocks are intensifying. Families displaced by conflict are exhausting every coping mechanism. This support allows us to act now and protect the most vulnerable as we approach the lean season, when needs will peak."

Cameroon continues to face overlapping pressures that drive acute hunger, including high food prices, insecurity, and climate shocks. An estimated 2.9 million people in Cameroon are facing acute food insecurity between June and August, including 249,000 facing emergency levels of food insecurity. Over 82 percent of those affected are concentrated in the Far North, East, Adamawa, North, Northwest, and Southwest regions.

"Japan remains committed to promoting human security and supporting the most vulnerable populations in Cameroon," said H.E. Minami Kentaro, Ambassador of Japan to Cameroon. "Through our partnership with WFP, Japan supports the Cameroonian government in its effort to assure food security, stabilize communities, protect women and children, and strengthen resilience in regions affected by conflict and displacement."

Cameroon is facing one of the world's most neglected displacement crises and the humanitarian response is severely constrained by chronic underfunding. In 2026, funding shortfalls have already forced WFP to reduce the number of people targeted for assistance by more than 35 percent.

"Cameroon remains strategically positioned within Central Africa," Ferrera added. "Supporting food security is not only about saving lives; it is about preserving stability in a region under immense strain. The cost of inaction will far exceed the cost of timely intervention."

WFP requires an additional USD 40.4 million to sustain operations in Cameroon over the next six months. Without this funding, there may be breaks in emergency food assistance during the lean season, when household food stocks are depleted and disease risks increase. This would reverse hard-won gains in nutrition, resilience, and community stability.

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The United Nations World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

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