Assuring Early Recovery, Resilience: Locals, Refugees Boost Crop Production, Augment Incomes

As part of support towards early recovery among over 240,000 vulnerable local people and Central African Republic, CAR refugees in the East, Adamawa and North Regions, the World Food Programme, WFP in 2021 implemented a food assistance programme for asset creation using community-based approaches. Financed by the Japanese government and the World Bank, the scheme in Boulembe and Timangolo communities in the East Region strengthened affected communities against future shocks.

Nutrition-sensitive, Income-orientated
Out of the 240,000 assisted people, 170,000 were CAR refugees. According to WFP, focus was on promoting climate-sensitive agricultural practices that are more nutrition-sensitive and income-orientated, while increasing access to markets. Communities participated in the rehabilitation of roads, cultivation of farmlands, fish farming, as well as food processing and preservation. To promote resilience, 17,000 people in 2021 received assistance in cash and kind to create assets under food-for-assets projects in these regions.

Food For Early Recovery, Resilience
From 2018 to 2021, Japan contributed 14.9 million US dollars (about 8.9 billion FCFA) to WFP’s food assistance. This covered general food distributions, school feeding, nutrition and resilience activities. The total value of Japan’s support to WFP’s early recovery and resilience activities in Cameroon for 2021 was 250,000 US dollars (about 149.3 million FCFA). With over 189,000 US dollars (about 112.9 million FCFA) going for interventions in the East, Adamawa and North Regions.

Locals, Refugees, Included
Boulembe village located 30 km from Bertoua has a population of approximately 7,500 inhabitants, comprising about 6,250 host people and 1,250 refugees (16.7 per cent). To improve the nutritional status and food security of the refugees and residents, WFP, with support from Japan, has since 2018 provided assistance to 250 households for the...