Anglophone armed conflict in Cameroon is ranked among the topmost neglected in the world by an International Organisation
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An International Organisation operating in Cameroon have ranked the Anglophone armed conflict among the most neglected of the year 2021. According to the organisation, The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), they publish the list of the most neglected displacement crises in the world every year. The purpose of the publication is to focus on the plight of the people whose suffering rarely makes international headlines, who receive no or inadequate assistance, and who never become the centre of attention for international diplomacy efforts.
Cameroon is ranked number three in the list after DR Congo as first and Burkina Faso as second. In a report published on 1 June 2022 on their official website, the Norwegian Refugee Council reiterated that ‘Cameroon has been ranked in the top three on this list for the last four years due to a consistent lack of political engagement and international attention. 2021 was no different. Aid funding stagnated and international media attention remained limited, in part due to restrictions placed on journalists within the country.’
The crises left 4.4 million people in need of humanitarian support – almost half of whom had previously been uprooted from their homes. Violence and displacement drove up hunger levels, leaving almost 10 per cent of the population food-insecure by the end of the year.
In the English-speaking regions, growing insecurity and abuses against civilians forced people to flee in search of safety. Attacks on teachers, schools and health facilities continued, leaving 700,000 children unable to go to school.
In the Far North region, violence and attacks significantly hampered humanitarian efforts and access to people in need. Droughts and flooding led to resource shortages, which deepened existing insecurities and drove further displacement. The eastern regions of the country saw an increase in the number of refugees from the Central African Republic, putting further pressure on local host communities. The situation in 2022 shows little sign of let-up for the people of Cameroon, as violence and insecurity persist. The detention of aid workers has led to some organisations suspending their programming, leaving even more people out of reach of aid.
It is worthy to note that all the ten most neglected displacement crises are on the African continent. According to NRCm this is the first time that only African Countries are listed among the first ten. Most international media outlets rarely cover these countries beyond ad hoc reporting on new outbreaks of violence or disease, and in several African countries the lack of press freedom is exacerbating the situation. Then there’s donor fatigue, and the fact that many African countries are deemed to be of limited geopolitical interest. The low level of funding limits the ability of humanitarian organisations both to provide adequate humanitarian relief and to do effective advocacy and communication work for these crises, creating a vicious circle.
The Norwegian Refugee Council use three criteria to come up with the list or better still the following methodoly. All displacement crises* resulting in more than 200,000 displaced people have been analysed – 41 crises in total. The list was generated based on three criteria, which were given equal weight:
1. Lack of international political will
A qualitative analysis of the international community’s willingness to contribute to political solutions was carried out on all 41 crises. The analysis looked at whether UN Security Council resolutions were adopted, the number and importance of international and government envoys to the conflict, and whether there were any high-level international discussions or other international engagements in, for example, peacebuilding or human rights. The actions taken were analysed in relation to the size and severity of the displacement crisis, and for this we used the FfP Fragile States Index, the ACAPS Severity Index, and relevant displacement figures.
2. Lack of media attention
The level of media attention towards the various crises was measured using figures from the media monitoring company Meltwater, which measures online media coverage. When comparing media attention towards the different crises, we calculated the media coverage relative to the number of people displaced by each crisis, using the latest figures from the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and NRC’s Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC).
3. Lack of international aid
Every year, the UN and its humanitarian partners launch funding appeals to cover peoples’ basic needs in countries affected by large crises. The extent to which these appeals are met varies greatly. The amount of money raised for each crisis in 2021 was assessed as a percentage of the amount required to cover the needs, thus indicating the level of economic support.
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Berinyuy Cajetan is the founder and publisher of Human Rights and Legal Research Centre (HRLRC) since 2017. He has intensive experience in strategic communications for Civil Society Organizations, campaign and advocacy, and social issues. He has an intensive experiencing in human rights monitoring, documentation and reporting.
