National Institute of Statistics warns of imminent famine.

It said when the figure is added to the populations of conflict-ridden zones, it could mean a significant segment of the national population is now threatened by hunger. 

Such, NIS warned, could lead to malnutrition, especially among children and the most vulnerable. According to the recent report published by the Institute on August 7, of the roughly 4.5 million people identified in at-risk areas between January and March, 1.8 million lived in regions directly affected by conflict.

The remaining 2.6 million, NIS disclosed, lives in areas relatively spared from separatist agitations and Boko Haram attacks. The report adds that the figures are a clear indication that food vulnerability cannot be explained solely by population displacement, insecurity or disruptions to economic activity caused by conflict. 

NIS said it also affects areas where markets function better and agricultural production is considered more stable. It disclosed that the affected populations account for 17% and 13%, respectively, of the populations in the two categories of areas, with varying degrees of severity and some experiencing persistent vulnerability.

Per NIS, the conditions continue to remain less severe in areas unaffected by conflict as government struggles to restore normalcy. The report also estimated that about one in five households in conflict zones suffers from inadequate food consumption and insufficient or low calory intake. 

The NIS attributes the relative resilience to better market access, more stable agricultural production and greater diversification of food sources.  Trends over the three-month period also point to relative stability, the report states. 

It adds that in eight of Cameroon’s 10 regions, the share of households with inadequate food consumption showed no significant change. Only the North and North West recorded a slight increase in the number of affected households.

It stability does not mean improvement as relatively stable national picture masks localized deterioration in food supplies that could emerge in areas under greater pressure or threat of famine, particularly in the North.

For areas unaffected by conflict, the institute expects current conditions to persist, with no significant improvement but no major deterioration either. 

This, it said, raises the risk that a substantial share of the population could remain trapped in persistent food vulnerability even outside areas affected by security crises.

National risk average

The NIS estimates that some 5.4 million Cameroonians were identified to be at risk of famine during the first quarter of the current financial year. 

At the national level, indicators improved over the course of the quarter, with the proportion of the population considered at risk falling from 22% in January to 16% in February.

NIS reported that across the first quarter of 2026, the rate averaged 18%, equivalent to about 5.4 million people. The figure points to significant vulnerability despite temporary improvements in some indicators.

That estimate must be distinguished from the 4.5 million people who lived in areas identified as exposed to acute food insecurity risks between January and March. The two figures refer to different statistical indicators and populations and should not be treated as equivalent.

The NIS findings broaden the issue beyond the humanitarian emergency in Cameroon’s conflict-affected regions. In relatively stable areas, it said persistent food insecurity also raises questions about household incomes, families’ ability to absorb higher prices and the effectiveness of food production and distribution systems.

The relative stability recorded in the first quarter, NIS said, indicates that a significant share of the population remains close to the vulnerability threshold and could fall into greater food insecurity after a shock to prices, harvests or household incomes. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3878 of Friday August 14, 2026