Food Insecurity: 2.7 Million Cameroonians Face Hunger

Gabriel Mbairobe, Cameroon’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, says 2.7 Cameroonians are living under the threat of food insecurity.

Mbairobe made the revelation on Thursday April 15,  in Yaounde, the nation’s capital, during the presentation of the results of the “analysis of harmonised identification of risk zones and the populations in zones threatened by food insecurity in Cameroon,” for March 2021.

Though this situation may seem alarming, the figures are lower as compared to previous figures despite persistent socio-political challenges in the two Anglophone regions of Northwest and Southwest, the exactions of Boko Haram, and floods in the Northern part of Cameroon.

In contrast, in their Country Brief released at the end of May 2018, the World Food Programme (WFP) revealed that 3.9 million persons were confronted by food insecurity throughout Cameroon.

“During the current period, from March to May 2021, the food situation could be qualified as good in 11 divisions placed in the minimal phase, and relatively acceptable in 33 divisions considered under pressure,” the Minister said.

“We however note that fourteen divisions are in the crisis phase in the Northwest, Southwest, Centre and Littoral regions.”

The results presented on Thursday were a tool for the analysis and diagnosis of the food and nutritional security situation in the country whose fundamental objective is to target without complaisance, the vulnerable populations and propose adequate and most appropriate responses, he explained.