---
title: "NRC in Cameroon"
description: "More than 2.2 million internally displaced people, refugees and asylum seekers are living in Cameroon where conflict, insecurity and climate-related shocks continue to disrupt lives and livelihoods."
url: "https://www.nrc.no/countries/africa/cameroon"
language: "en"
published: "2025-03-20T13:52:01Z"
modified: "2026-10-13T12:24:33Z"
---

# NRC in Cameroon

Children in the Far North region of Cameroon attend catch-up classes to help them return to school. Photo: Patricia Pouhe/NRC

More than 2.2 million internally displaced people, refugees and asylum seekers are living in Cameroon where conflict, insecurity and climate-related shocks continue to disrupt lives and livelihoods.

Updated 13. Oct 2026

[Cameroon](https://www.nrc.no/themes?categoryId=227)

It is one of the most neglected crises in the world, but the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has been on the ground there since 2017 – making sure displaced families have shelter, food and clean water, as well as access to education and vital legal assistance.

## What’s happening in Cameroon?

In Cameroon, three humanitarian crises are unfolding simultaneously.

For the past decade, recurrent attacks by non-state armed groups in the Far North region have forced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes. At the end of 2026, more than 510,000 people were internally displaced in the region. Flooding and other climate-related shocks further threaten access to basic services.

At the same time, years of violence and insecurity have displaced more than 493,000 people and severely disrupted the Southwest and Northwest regions.

In eastern Cameroon, more than 283,000 refugees from the Central African Republic have sought safety, placing further pressure on communities where resources are already limited.

These crises are bringing more hardship to communities that were already struggling to access basic services, including food and livelihoods. Across the country, insecurity and humanitarian access constraints make it difficult to reach people in need. Yet despite the scale of the needs, the humanitarian response remains severely underfunded.

## Our response

We’re working with our partners in the following areas:

- **Water, sanitation and hygiene** – rehabilitating and constructing water systems and boreholes, building latrines, distributing hygiene supplies and helping schools and communities access safe water and proper sanitation.
- **Shelter and settlements** – providing rental and shelter support, repairing and rehabilitating homes and community infrastructure, and distributing essential household items.
- **Education** – creating temporary and mobile learning spaces, distributing school materials, training teachers and supporting children with inclusive education and psychosocial activities.
- **Information, counselling and legal assistance** – helping people obtain identity documents and birth certificates, protect their housing, land and property rights, resolve land disputes and prevent forced evictions.
- **Advocacy** – participating actively in humanitarian coordination and using NRC’s leadership role to draw attention to unmet needs and improve the response.

[Download the factsheet for NRC in Cameroon](https://www.nrc.no/resources/fact-sheets/nrc-cameroon-fact-sheet)

## Our operations

**NRC office established:** 2017

**Areas of operation:** Yaoundé (country office), Far North region, Southwest and Northwest regions, East region, Adamawa region

**Country Director:** Insaf Garchi

**Contact:** [cm.nrc@nrc.no](mailto:cm.nrc@nrc.no)

## Our impact

In 2025, we assisted 167,869 people through our programmes in Cameroon:

- 42,191

  Education
- 31,687

  Livelihoods and food security
- 17,068

  Shelter and settlements
- 29,747

  Information, counselling and legal assistance
- 80,246

  Water, sanitation and hygiene

***Note:** some people received more than one type of assistance.*

### News and stories

## [The world’s most neglected displacement crises](https://www.nrc.no/feature/2026/the-worlds-most-neglected-displacement-crises-2025)

04. Jun 2026 | Feature

## [From crisis to classroom: a second chance for Cameroon’s displaced children](https://www.nrc.no/perspectives/2025/from-crisis-to-classroom-a-second-chance-for-cameroons-displaced-children)

06. Aug 2025 | Cameroon

## [Time passes – but no-one asks after Haoua](https://www.nrc.no/feature/2025/time-passes--but-no-one-asks-after-haoua)

04. Jun 2025 | Feature

[More news and stories](https://www.nrc.no/search?searchCategories=123,125,172,335,227&searchMethod=1)

### Publications

## [Securing every child’s identity: NRC’s efforts to strengthen birth registration in Cameroon](https://www.nrc.no/resources/briefing-notes/securing-every-childs-identity)

26. Mar 2026 | Cameroon

## [Supporting Locally-Led Responses in the Lake Chad Region](https://www.nrc.no/resources/reports/supporting-locally-led-responses-in-the-lake-chad-region)

09. Apr 2025 | Chad|Niger|Nigeria|Cameroon

## [Cameroon Annual Report 2024](https://www.nrc.no/resources/annual-reports/cameroon-annual-report-2024)

07. Mar 2025 | Cameroon

[More publications](https://www.nrc.no/search?searchCategories=124,131,132,175,178,315,227&searchMethod=1)

**Region:** West Africa  
**Population:** 29.88 million  
**Total displaced:** 1.1 million  
**Refugees hosted:** 0.42 million