Intensifying conflict further undermines food access in conflict-affected areas

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Islamist militants have intensified attacks in Cameroon’s Far North region, with a surge in attacks targeting civilians and kidnappings for ransom, particularly in the Mayo-Sava, Mayo-Tsanaga, and Logone-et-Chari divisions. According to ACLED, this escalation is linked to intensified Nigerian military operations that have forced insurgents to retreat into Cameroonian territory. In the Northwest and Southwest regions, violence against civilians has worsened in September, as separatist groups enforce a six-week lockdown aimed at boycotting the upcoming presidential election scheduled for October 12. Intensified insecurity has further limited agropastoral livelihoods, hindered market access and trade routes, and triggered new, albeit smaller-scale, displacements, adding to the more than one million people already internally displaced. Countrywide, political and ethnic tensions remain high in the lead-up to the October 12 polls. The International Crisis Group warns that these tensions could fuel an escalation of long-standing conflicts and spark widespread unrest in the aftermath of the elections.
The lockdown imposed between September 8 to mid-October across the Northwest and Southwest has further exacerbated insecurity in these regions, triggering a surge in attacks on civilians and severely disrupting daily livelihoods, market activities, and trade flows. These disruptions have significantly undermined household access to food during this period. Weekday closures of markets and businesses have drastically limited physical access to essential food items and disrupted cash flow for many households. As a result, weekend markets have become overcrowded and strained, contributing to slight-to-moderate increases in food prices across urban centers. Humanitarian operations have also been affected, with food distribution efforts expected to face continued delays and interruptions throughout September and October.
From October 2025 through January 2026, acute food insecurity is projected to worsen across the Northwest and Southwest regions. By January a growing number of households will have exhausted their own-produced food stocks from the 2025 harvest, leaving them entirely market dependent for staple grain purchases. In addition to conflict-related declines in production and below-average harvests, early sales of harvested crops at lower prices, driven by fears of market disruptions linked to the prolonged lockdown, have accelerated the depletion of household food stocks. With persistently high staple food prices and low incomes, many households are expected to adopt severe and unsustainable coping strategies to bridge food consumption gaps, including purchasing food on credit, reducing portion sizes, or skipping meals. Households in highly insecure and remote areas (particularly in Donga-Mantung, Momo, Bui, Lebialem, and Menchum divisions) that did not harvest and have limited or no access to humanitarian assistance will continue to face significantly eroded coping capacity and wide food consumption gaps.
In North and Far North regions, households are experiencing notable improvements in food availability, affordability, and income generation from agricultural labor and crop sales during the September to November harvest season. By October and November, staple food prices are expected to stabilize, driven by increased supply and reduced household demand as households consume their own production from harvests. Nonetheless, prices are likely to remain above average due to limited supply from conflict-affected areas, strong export demand from neighboring countries, and elevated transportation costs. These persistently high prices will continue to constrain purchasing power, particularly for urban and rural internally displaced persons and refugees living in conflict-free areas.
From October through January 2026, modest improvements in food security are anticipated in conflict-affected parts of the Far North, especially in the Mayo-Sava, Mayo-Tsanaga, and Logone-et-Chari divisions. However, most households will continue to experience barely adequate food consumption, driven by conflict-related disruptions to agricultural and livestock production. With household incomes remaining below average, access to essential non-food items is likely to remain limited, compelling households to continue adopting stress-related livelihood coping mechanisms. In highly insecure zones, households, particularly those experiencing repeated displacement and lack of cultivation, are likely to remain heavily market dependent to meet their food needs. Escalating insurgent attacks and ongoing insecurity are expected to further disrupt agricultural labor and crop sales, constraining income-earning opportunities and weakening household purchasing power. Coping capacity among worst-off households is likely nearly depleted and households are expected to continue experiencing severe acute food insecurity through at least January 2026.
Refugees from the Central African Republic and host communities in Mberé (Adamawa), Kadey (East), and Lom-et-Djerem (East) are expected to continue experiencing minimally adequate food consumption through February 2026, driven by high food prices and persistently low incomes. The presence of refugees has intensified demand for essential goods, driving increased prices during the post-harvest season when food is typically more accessible. The increased competition for limited resources and employment opportunities has further suppressed household incomes. Access to safe drinking water among refugee households is critically low, compounded by poor hygiene and sanitation practices. Humanitarian assistance has decreased due to funding shortfalls. WFP has cut refugee food rations by half, compelling families to adopt negative coping strategies, such as reducing meal frequency and withdrawing children from school.

Recommended citation: FEWS NET. Cameroon Key Message Update September 2025: Intensifying conflict further undermines food access in conflict-affected areas, 2025.

This Key Message Update provides a high-level analysis of current acute food insecurity conditions and any changes to FEWS NET's latest projection of acute food insecurity outcomes in the specified geography. Learn more here.