Jesuit Refugee Service is one of the humanitarian organizations providing critical aid to forcefully displaced people in Cameroon, where armed conflict, climate change and aid cuts have compounded the struggles of millions of people. As Pope Leo XIV's Apostolic Journey brings renewed attention to the region, JRS reflects on the challenges and hopes for refugees in Cameroon.
By Claudia Torres Cameroon faces a multifaceted humanitarian crisis fuelled largely by internal and regional conflict and exacerbated by climate change and aid cuts. For years, armed conflict between the government and separatists in the country’s English-speaking regions – the Anglophone Crisis – has displaced people within the country. Additionally, refugees fleeing violence in Nigeria and the Central African Republic have sought haven in the East, Adamawa, and Far North regions of Cameroon. According to UNHCR, “by 30 June 2025, the number of displaced people in Cameroon had reached 2.1 million, including 969,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), 699,500 IDP returnees, and 431,000 refugees and asylum-seekers.” Responding to the crisis Amid this complex humanitarian landscape, a key actor in responding to these crises is the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS). The organization initially responded to an influx of refugees fleeing violence in the CAR, and later expanded its efforts to assist people escaping attacks by armed groups such as Boko Haram in Nigeria. Today, JRS operates across multiple regions in the country. Speaking with Vatican News, Ousmane N’Gaide, Country Director of Jesuit Refugee Service Cameroon-Central African Republic, and Eric Banlav, Head of Programming, explained that the organization is currently supporting around 70,000 Nigerian refugees in the Minawao refugee camp in the Far North. “There we are supporting them by engaging them in sustainable income-generating activities,” said Banlav, so that they can take care of their other needs. One of JRS’ projects is dedicated precisely to the professional integration of young Central African displaced persons in the Adamawa region. Program participants receive high-level training in skills such as tailoring so they can provide for themselves in the future. Another project is focused on restoring education and promoting environmental resilience for flood-affected communities in the Far North. Through it, JRS promotes education by distributing school kits to primary school students in the area. While JRS responds to cross-border displacement in the Far North and East regions, the crisis in Cameroon’s Northwest and Southwest regions presents a different, internal challenge. The ongoing Anglophone Crisis has displaced countless people within the country, creating urgent humanitarian needs in areas already struggling with instability. Although many refugees fled extreme violence, Banlav pointed out that conflict is not the only driver of displacement in the Sahel region. Environmental factors also play a significant role, which is why JRS is engaging communities and refugees in this mission “to fight climate change through sustainable environmental practices,” he said. Adding to these challenges is a lack of funding following aid cuts by the United States in 2025, which have left a significant divide between humanitarian needs and available resources. “The gap is huge,” said N’Gaide, and it has resulted in the reduction of life-saving projects. N’Gaide explained that the biggest support JRS receives now comes from “the Church network” as well as other faith-based partners around the world. These include the Archdiocese of Cologne and Jesuit organizations in Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, and Germany. Beyond these material limitations, the work of JRS is also shaped by a broader mission within the Church. Remembering Pope Francis’ care for the vulnerable As the Church nears the one-year anniversary of Pope Francis’ death – on 21 April – Banlav reflects on the Jesuit Pope’s profound care for migrants, refugees, and the most vulnerable. “Pope Francis' legacy lives on,” said Banlav, particularly in JRS’ attention to the displaced, to children and the environment. In Cameroon, many refugees and internally displaced children face interrupted education, exposure to trauma, family separation, and risks such as exploitation or early marriage. That’s why, Banlav said, “Pope Francis’ advocacy for the rights of children, for the rights of the most vulnerable, is a legacy that needs to be made known to stakeholders in the humanitarian sector.” Weaving the fabric of social peace Now Pope Leo XIV has taken up that mission, bringing a message of hope and peace to Cameroon during his four-country Apostolic Journey in Africa. In his address to authorities, members of civil society, and the diplomatic corps in Yaoundé on 15 April, he said humanitarian NGOs, among other civil society actors, “play an irreplaceable role in weaving the fabric of social peace” because “they are the first to intervene when tensions arise.” He added that “they are the ones who care for the displaced, support victims, open spaces for dialogue and encourage local mediation”, noting that “their close ties to the local community enable them to understand the root causes of conflicts and to identify appropriate solutions.” For Banlav, the papal visit is also an opportunity to raise awareness of the plight of CAR refugees in Cameroon, who he said “seem to have been forgotten by the international community.” He and N’Gaide both expressed hope that Pope Leo’s presence in Cameroon could spark dialogue, reduce tensions, and strengthen national and community efforts towards reconciliation. For now, JRS will continue its multi-faceted efforts to offer humanitarian assistance to Cameroon’s most vulnerable.