Yaounde: Cameroon has been identified as the world's most neglected displacement crisis, as revealed in a recent report by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). Decision makers are urged to acknowledge that displacement is not a distant issue but a shared responsibility that demands immediate attention.
According to African Press Organization, the annual list of neglected displacement crises is formulated based on three key criteria: lack of humanitarian funding, insufficient media coverage, and a lack of effective political engagement to resolve conflicts and improve conditions for displaced individuals. While Cameroon tops the list, Ethiopia ranks second, marking its highest-ever placement, and Mozambique appears in third place for the first time. Burkina Faso, which led the list for the past two years, now ranks fourth. The Democratic Republic of Congo, which previously held a top-three position, is now eighth. These shifts underscore a harsh truth: nearly all prolonged humanitarian crises are being ignored.
Adequate funding is crucial, but it alone cannot alleviate the suffering. Without effective conflict resolution, disaster prevention, and diplomatic engagement, these prolonged crises will persist, leading to more displacements and shattered lives, emphasized Egeland.
Cameroon has consistently ranked high on this list due to its struggles with three distinct and prolonged crises that have displaced hundreds of thousands. The situation exemplifies global neglect, characterized by minimal diplomacy, underfunding, and underreporting. The displacement crisis in Cameroon rarely garners attention from global media outlets, rendering the harsh realities faced by displaced and conflict-affected people invisible to many.
"Life is very difficult at times, and we get by with a little farming and working in small businesses to try and find enough to eat. We worry about the future of our children. They need to go to school. We have been forgotten here in Cameroon and it's very difficult for us to even think about the future of our families," shared Djeinabou, a 32-year-old refugee from the Central African Republic living in Cameroon.
"The world cannot plead ignorance when it comes to overlooking crises that feature in this report. Each year we warn that things will get worse, and each year that warning becomes a reality. This year I fear that more than ever. With aid budgets being slashed it is down to each and every one of us to stand up and tell global, regional and national politicians to change course, that we will not stand by and let those forced to flee be left behind. What we do this year will be remembered," implored Egeland.
Each year, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) publishes a list of the ten most neglected displacement crises globally, aiming to highlight the plight of people whose suffering seldom makes international headlines and who receive inadequate assistance. The list for 2024 analyzed 34 displacement crises based on funding, media attention, and international political and diplomatic initiatives. Cameroon, ranking second in 2023, has previously topped the list in 2019 and 2018. Ethiopia last appeared on the list in 2021, ranking tenth, while Mozambique makes its debut.
In 2024, Cameroon's humanitarian response plan was 45% funded, with USD 168.2 million of the required USD 371 million, leaving a funding gap of USD 202.8 million. Globally, USD 24.2 billion was received against a requirement of USD 49.5 billion, resulting in a funding gap of USD 25.3 billion, equivalent to 1.03% of global military spending in 2024. The crisis in Cameroon was mentioned in 28,800 articles across various languages, which is significantly fewer compared to the crisis in Ukraine.
Major donors have been reducing foreign aid budgets, affecting both humanitarian and development funding. The United States suspended ongoing aid projects in January, while the United Kingdom, the Dutch, French, Swiss, Swedish, German, and Belgian governments have also announced cuts in aid assistance.