In a significant move for humanitarian development, UNICEF and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) have joined forces to strengthen youth engagement and community resilience to emergencies and climate change in Cameroon. They signed a two-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Yaoundé to advance child rights and youth engagement in Cameroon. The signing ceremony took place this January 20, 2026.
The partnership focuses on equipping the U-Report/U-Responders initiative with critical disaster management training, first-aid skills, and environmental protection tools to help vulnerable communities navigate climate shocks and humanitarian crises. By merging TİKA’s resources with UNICEF’s expertise, the agreement aims to empower young Cameroonians as active agents of change while integrating child rights standards into corporate and institutional policies.
In a press release that was made public this day, representatives from both organizations, emphasized that the collaboration is a strategic investment in sustainable human development.
“This partnership with TİKA reflects our shared commitment to placing children and young people at the center of solutions to humanitarian, climate, and social crises,” said Nadine Perrault, UNICEF Representative in Cameroon. “By supporting youth engagement and strengthening community capacities, we are investing in sustainable solutions that protect children’s rights today and build a more resilient future for tomorrow.”
For its part, TİKA highlighted the importance of this collaboration in enhancing the impact of Turkish cooperation in Cameroon, particularly for the benefit of children and young people. “TİKA is honored to partner with UNICEF in an initiative that puts children and youth at the heart of action. This Memorandum of Understanding reflects our vision to promote sustainable human development grounded in education, health, and solidarity,” stated Melih Çağatay Artunay, TİKA Programme Coordinator in Cameroon. “By working together, we aim to support concrete initiatives led by young people and communities, while engaging Turkish companies and the diaspora to actively contribute to the promotion of child rights in Cameroon.”
Through this collaboration, UNICEF and TİKA reaffirm their shared determination to work in a coordinated and innovative manner to sustainably improve the lives of children and young people in Cameroon, especially those affected by humanitarian emergencies and the impacts of climate change.
