Yaounde, June 14th, 2023 : The international community will celebrate World Refugee Day on June 20. The event is marked in Cameroon by important activities carried out by the Government, United Nations System Agencies, technical and nancial partners, and civil society organizations. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) participates with its support of advocacy endeavors as well as the provision of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services to this vulnerable population.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in 2022, Cameroon hosted 475,000 refugees and asylum seekers, of whom 73%, i.e. 356,250 are refugees from the Central African Republic settled in the border areas of the East, Adamawa and North Regions; Nigerian refugees in the Far North and about 24,000 of different nationalities in urban centers. Nearly half of these migrants are women and most are of childbearing age and therefore have specific needs. They are also a prime target of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), from crisis hotspots in their countries of origin to the precarious shelters that they very often occupy in host communities.
UNFPA supports efforts made by the Government and other stakeholders, such as the UNHCR, for a better understanding of refugee issues and advocates for the particular concerns of women and other vulnerable migrants to be addressed. It also provides responses to the urgent needs in SRH and protection against GBV among refugee populations, so that no one is left behind.
On the occasion of Cameroon's commemoration of the 23rd edition of World Refugee Day, placed under the high patronage of the First Lady, Mrs Chantal Biya, UNFPA will carry out, from the 12th to 22nd June, 2023, with funding from KfW Development Bank of Germany, the following activities :
► In partnership with CAMNAFAW, a community-integrated service delivery campaign on reproductive health, family planning, menstrual hygiene and protection to GBV in Bertoua-Mandjou and Gado-Badzere.
► Provision of dignity kits to vulnerable pregnant women admitted in the Integrated Health Center as well as to GBV survivors admitted to the Safe Space of Gado-Badzere.
► Public information and awareness campaigns through stands, traditional media and social media in Yaoundé and other localities in the country.
Other advocacy activities, together with the Government, the United Nations sister agencies and other stakeholders will be carried out.
World Refugee Day honors the strength and courage of those who have been forced to ee their country of origin to escape con ict or persecution. Established in 2001 by Resolution 55/76 of the United Nations General Assembly, it helps to strengthen empathy and understanding of the plight of refugees and to recognize their resilience in rebuilding their lives.
UNFPA is the United Nations Sexual and Reproductive Health Agency. It ensures universal access to sexual and reproductive health. The Agency has been working in Cameroon since its creation in 1969 and is implementing its 8th Cooperation Program (2022-2026), which is centered on achieving the Three Transformative Results, namely: Zero unmet need for family planning; Zero preventable maternal deaths; and Zero gender-based violence and harmful practice against women and girls.
For more information :
United Nations Population Funds (UNFPA)
Country Office Cameroon
P.O. Box 836 Yaounde
(+237)- 222 219 863
Contacts :
UNFPA Program Humanitarian Coordinator
Mr Aymar Narodar Some
(+237)- 695 57 80 44
UNFPA Communication Expert
Mr Mbea Mbea
(+237)- 693 87 31 45
