WFP Warns Half a Million in Cameroon Face Food Aid Cuts Without Urgent Funds

The agency said that resources for food aid in Cameroon are critically low, forcing reductions in rations and threatening a complete suspension of assistance by the end of August.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has issued a stark warning that nearly 500,000 refugees and vulnerable Cameroonians could be cut off from lifesaving food assistance in the coming weeks unless urgent funding is received.

The agency said that resources for food aid in Cameroon are critically low, forcing reductions in rations and threatening a complete suspension of assistance by the end of August.

Looming Humanitarian Crisis

According to WFP, over 240,000 people who have fled conflict into Cameroon risk losing food aid entirely, while an additional 200,000 mothers and children will be deprived of crucial nutrition support. Furthermore, school meals for 60,000 children could be stopped, endangering not only their health but also their education and long-term development.

“We have reached a critical tipping point,” warned Gianluca Ferrera, WFP’s Country Director in Cameroon. “Without immediate funding, children will go hungry, families will suffer, and lives will be lost.”

Reductions Already Underway

The shortage of funds has already forced WFP to reduce or end assistance in key refugee camps:

• In July 2025, food aid was completely suspended for 26,000 Nigerian refugees in the Minawao refugee camp in northern Cameroon.

• Refugees from the Central African Republic (CAR) in the Gado camp in the east are currently receiving only half of their daily food requirements.

These cuts have left families with no choice but to adopt harmful coping strategies, such as skipping meals, reducing food portions, or selling limited belongings to buy food.

Humanitarian Gains at Risk

In 2025 alone, WFP has delivered food assistance to 523,000 people, including internally displaced persons (IDPs), Nigerian and CAR refugees, and vulnerable host communities. Nearly 300,000 women and children have benefitted from nutrition support and school feeding programmes.

This aid has been pivotal in stabilising fragile communities, preventing malnutrition, and supporting education through school meal initiatives. However, without fresh funding, these hard-won gains risk being undone.

Ferrera stressed that cuts will worsen immediate hunger and have long-term consequences:

• Stopping school meals could reduce school attendance and retention rates, especially among girls.

• Reductions in nutrition support will heighten risks of child malnutrition and poor maternal health.

• Loss of refugee aid could escalate social tensions with host communities already struggling with limited resources.

Growing Food Insecurity

The looming aid cuts come at a time when Cameroon is already grappling with severe food insecurity. The March 2025 Cadre Harmonisé analysis projected that 2.6 million people would face acute food insecurity between June and August 2025 – a 6% increase from the same period in 2024.

The worst-affected areas include the Far North and Northwest regions, which are simultaneously impacted by conflict, displacement, and climate shocks.

Urgent Call for Funding

To maintain its operations, WFP says it requires an additional US$65.5 million over the next six months (August 2025 – January 2026). This funding would allow the organisation to:

• Resume and expand food distributions to refugees and IDPs.

• Continue nutrition programmes for mothers and children.

• Sustain school feeding initiatives that improve both education and health outcomes.

A Crucial Moment

“This is a crucial moment to protect the most vulnerable, preserve progress, and prevent a deeper crisis,” Ferrera emphasised. He urged international donors, humanitarian partners, and governments to act swiftly to avert a large-scale humanitarian breakdown.

WFP’s appeal underscores the growing humanitarian financing gap affecting not only Cameroon but also the wider Central African region, where conflict, displacement, and climate change are pushing millions to the brink of hunger.