In 2024, Cameroon encountered significant food security challenges due to conflict and severe flooding, affecting agricultural production and displacing populations. Food prices are rising, with over 3 million people now facing severe food insecurity.
Food Security Snapshot: Cameroon (March 6, 2025)
In 2024, agricultural output in Cameroon was substantially impacted by ongoing conflict, particularly in the Far North Region. The unimodal regions completed the harvest of millet and sorghum by November 2024, while the central and southern areas planted maize in October 2024, with yields starting in January 2025. However, severe floods affected over 85,000 hectares, leading to significant livestock losses and extensive repercussions for approximately 450,000 rural inhabitants due to persistent insecurity in key agricultural areas.
Additionally, food prices have surged, reflecting a broader inflation rate of 7.6 percent in 2024, largely due to rising food costs. Locally produced maize prices fluctuated, decreasing after mid-2024, but witnessing a subsequent increase of 15 percent towards the end of the year. Concurrently, prices for imported rice have remained consistently high compared to previous years.
The food security situation is critical, with over 3 million people — approximately 11 percent of the national population — facing severe food insecurity as per the October 2024 Cadre Harmonisé analysis. This condition is exacerbated by enduring civil unrest in the Far North, Northwest, and Southwest regions, along with displacement resulting from the devastating floods.
In summary, Cameroon faces a dire food security crisis exacerbated by conflict and natural disasters. Agricultural production has suffered, especially due to flooding and ongoing violence, severely affecting communities’ livelihoods. Additionally, soaring food prices driven by inflation are complicating access to necessary resources, leaving millions in a precarious state of food insecurity.
Original Source: reliefweb.int
