Cameroon

Humanitarian needs continue to be on the increase in North-West and South-West (NWSW) regions, requiring a coordinated and scaled up humanitarian assistance. Humanitarian actors continue to face constrains related to security and physical access in the delivery of the much-needed assistance in some communities. Conflict in rural areas have often resulted in population movement. While some of them from fled violence affected areas to find shelter at relatively peaceful areas within NWSW region, some of them went to neighboring regions such as Adamawa, Littoral and West region. As no respite is seen to the ongoing Armed Confrontation, the area will continue to witness IDPs. During the year 2020, the population movement remained dynamic and continue in 2021.

According to the Multisectoral Needs Assessment and Protection Monitoring and AGDM conducted in 2020 and in the first quarter of 2021 in the North West & South West, West, West and Littoral regions, there are more than 785,000 persons in need of basic shelter and core relief items assistance. The main hotspots areas being Boyo, Donga Matung, Menchum Division Manyu, Ndian and Mezam divisions, etc. 45% (Appx 353,250 persons), seeking refugee the host families with another 21 % (Appx 164,850 persons), are self-settled. There are some 20 % (Appx 157,000 persons), are renting, with another 14% (Appx 109,900 persons), living in makeshift shelters.

The IDP self-settled in rural areas who are either living in makeshift shelters with little or no basic household items, displaced population in host families mostly living in overcrowded and cramped situation (as many as 10 persons in single rooms), displaced population renting accommodation at risk of eviction as they don’t usually have formal contracts and inability to pay rents due to economic hardship. Also, of interest is non-displace host families who are under pressure as family sizes has increased without any corresponding support, there are non-displaced population with partially damaged houses who are in informal settlements, with host families or renting accommodation. Their areas of origins are not still safe to return. Unmet shelter needs will worsen protection risks: most of the people require support to restore privacy and dignity, they also have safety and security concerns. The COVID-19 outbreak is making it challenging to provide humanitarian assistance to the affected population. However, the cluster has developed a shelter response plan that ensures that assistance provided adheres to COVID-19 prevention measures.

Considering that some shelter kits have been banned and there is need to replace them with Cash or Voucher, CBI seems to be a suitable and  wishful modality. The Shelter Cluster with its partners   must find ways   to advocate   for and propose   CBI interventions   in alternative to  direct cash distribution, such as vouchers for NFI, shelter materials,  tools or rent support, in order to engage dialogue with the authorities on  the matter. Furthermore, with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic,  cash was identified as the most appropriate and feasible modality in  urban and peri-urban areas where security conditions are better than in rural and remote areas, markets are functional, finance and information  and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure are available and  better developed