The Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Ministry of Decentralisation and local development.

Cameroon is home to some eight million refugees and asylum seekers and nearly one million internally displaced persons, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The improvement of their protection and well-being is the objective of Cameroon’s Ministry of Local Administration and Decentralisation. A goal that is also shared by the UN Refugee Agency.

The two institutions met last March 7. They signed a memorandum of understanding to provide humanitarian assistance to refugees and internally displaced persons. The document provides for the planning and coordination of mechanisms to empower those forced to leave their home. Their needs will now be part of local development programmes.

The Minister of Local Development, Elanga Obam, said: “We think what will change is that local authorities will be given the capacity to respond and intervene in the management of refugees. We want those who are in this situation to have people who can take care of them without waiting for Yaounde to send instructions and wealth. “ This is why the memorandum concerns all the councils in the ten regions of the country. They are called upon to speed up the aid machinery.

According to Olivier Beer, Resident Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, his agency will provide local authorities with statistics and data to enable them to plan better and include these people in national plans.