The conflict that started in the north-east of Nigeria 10 years ago between non-state armed groups and government forces has now spread to the entire Lake Chad Basin region. The most affected people are the ones in north-eastern Nigeria but neighbouring country Cameroon is not spared either. The Far North Region has today more than 270,000 internally displaced people and more than 100,000 Nigerian refugees, according to IOM and UNHCR.

Forgotten by the media, the people living in the Far North of Cameroon keep suffering daily from insecurity, in a region that is already suffering from poverty, failing health systems, an under-funded humanitarian assistance (40% of humanitarian needs identified for the year were funded at the end of October 2019) and subject to the vagaries of a semi-arid climate.

MSF has been providing humanitarian assistance to refugees, IDPs and local communities affected by insecurity, particularly in the border zone with Nigeria since 2015 and is currently working in Maroua, Mora and other surrounding localities. At Maroua regional hospital, MSF cares for seriously war-wounded people and provides them with psychological support. In Mora and Kourgui, localities close to the Nigerian border, MSF offers psychological support, pediatric care, including to malnourished children, in support of the Ministry of Health. 42 community members were also trained in the management and/or identification of simple cases of the most common children diseases (malaria, diarrhea, respiratory infections, and malnutrition). They work directly in villages in the border area, where access to care is difficult due to insecurity or road conditions, and refer serious cases to health centers or hospitals.