UNHCR estimates 42,400 refugees in need of resettlement in 2026.

Cameroon follows Chad with the largest of 136,300, Niger with 13,700 and Burkina Faso with 5,400.

In the report, the UNHCR said 202,500 refugees in 13 of 21 countries in the West and Central Africa will need resettlement in 2026, a 14 per cent increase from 2025. 

The report disclosed that the Cameroon Multi-Country Office, MCO, covering Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Sao Tome and Principe, estimates that 42,400 refugees are projected to be in need of resettlement in 2026 with the exception of a small number of individual cases identified in Equatorial Guinea, all resettlement activities are taking place in Cameroon. 

“Approximately 90 per cent of this population are refugees from the CAR, 9 per cent from Nigeria and the remaining 1 per cent are of other nationalities. Approximately 80 per cent of refugees with resettlement needs in Cameroon are women and girls at risk and refugees who are survivors of violence and torture,” the report noted.

Stating the importance of resettlement in the country, the report said: “Resettlement in Cameroon has significant importance both as a gesture of solidarity to the host country’s continued commitment to receiving refugees and to address the significant needs of those with extremely limited prospects of integration or return. Resettlement is also used by the operation as a safe and legal alternative to refugees engaging in dangerous onward movements”.

The report also added that the country is facing growing humanitarian pressures fueled by three simultaneous crises affecting different parts of the country.

It said in the Far North Region, violence linked to the Lake Chad Basin conflict continues to trigger population displacement and increase protection risks, while insecurity limits access to basic social services, while in the North West and South West Regions, persistent violence continues to disrupt daily life and restrict access to markets, schools, and health care.

UNHCR added that Adamawa, North, and East Regions continue to host refugees from the Central African Republic, revealing that many of them have been displaced for years and remain exposed to protection risks, while opportunities for economic self-reliance remain limited.

The UN agency also disclosed that Cameroon remains among the most neglected humanitarian crises in the region, with violence and insecurity, forced displacement, climate shocks, and public health risks compounding existing structural vulnerabilities.

According to the UNHCR, many families have lost their homes and livelihoods, children facing repeated interruptions in schooling, and communities continue to experience successive shocks while humanitarian operations remain constrained.

It said the crises are unfolding in a broader environment marked by structural development gaps and persistent vulnerabilities, which amplify the impact of each new shock.

“There are approximately 8.1 million internally displaced persons in the region, with Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Cameroon accounting for the majority. There are also currently 2.7 million refugees and asylum-seekers, 81 per cent of whom are women and children,” said the report. 

On September 30, 2024, UNHCR declared a Level 1 emergency due to floods affecting around 4.6 million people in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Mali, Niger and Nigeria. 

The region, UNHCR, said is also affected by economic shocks and financial crises which increase humanitarian needs

Climate hazards it said are further worsening the situation, with floods and droughts repeatedly damaging property, disrupting livelihoods, and putting additional pressure on already limited public services.

In the North West and South West regions, UNHCR said insecurity and access restrictions add another layer of operational difficulty for aid organisations.

The article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3728 of Wednesday March 11, 2026