Cameroon

Government

Type of government: republic; multiparty presidential regime.

A representative democracy in which the people elected deputies (representatives), not the

people themselves, vote on legislation.

Regional neighbor: Central African Republic, Chad,Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville) ,Guinea,

Gabon, Nigeria

Economy

Type of economy: Commodity-based economy

 Because of its modest oil resources and favorable agricultural conditions, Cameroon has one of

the best-endowed primary commodity economies in sub-Saharan Africa.

Major industry: petroleum production and refining, aluminum production, food processing, light

consumer goods, textiles, lumber, ship repair.

Agriculture - products: coffee, cocoa, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, cassava (manioc);

livestock; timber

Current state of economy: GDP-$25.46 Billion 

GDP - per capita: $2,300 (2012.)

Level of import/export: Exports:$6.538 billion (2012)

Exports commodities:

crude oil and petroleum products, lumber, cocoa beans, aluminum, coffee, cotton

Exports - partners:

Spain 13.4%, China 11.4%, Netherlands 9.8%, Italy 8.9%, France 6.4%, US 5.9%, India 5.7%, Germany

4.8%, Belgium 4.1% (2011)

Imports:

$6.597 billion (2012)

Imports - commodities:

machinery, electrical equipment, transport equipment, fuel, food

Imports - partners:

China 16.8%, France 16.6%, Nigeria 12.3%, Belgium 5.3%, Italy 4.3%, US 4.2% (2011)

Military

The Cameroonian Armed Forces generally has been an apolitical force where civilian control of the

military predominates. Traditional dependence on the French defense capability, although reduced,

continues to be the case as French military advisers remain closely involved in preparing the

Cameroonian forces for deployment to the contested Bakassi Peninsula. The armed forces number

38,000-40,000 personnel in ground, air, and naval forces.

The Cameroonian armed forces have bases spread all over Cameroon, including in Ngaoundéré. Air

Force bases are located in Garoua, Yaoundé,Douala and Bamenda.

"China has an ongoing military-military relationship with Cameroon, which includes training for

Cameroonian military students each year in China, technical advisors to assist in repairing Cameroonian

military vehicles and naval vessels, and Chinese military sales.”

Army

With 20,000 men (including a rate of feminization of nearly 10%) the Army remains the most important

component in terms of numbers.The Army is under the responsibility of the Chief of Staff,  Général de

division Nkoa Atenga, whose staff is in Yaoundé.

Currently the organization dates from 2001 with a distribution in several types of units: combat units,

response units (unités d'intervention), unités de soutien et d'appui et finally special reserve units as part of

3 joint military régions (interarmees) and the 10 military land sectors.[3]

Army units have been trained and equipped to fight in the swampy coastal terrain facing the Bakassi

peninsula.

Combat units of the army include:

"The General Headquarter Brigade, located in Yaoundé. This brigade is responsible for protecting

the capital and supporting the institutions. The President of the Republic has to allow any of its

deployments."

"Three command and support battalions;"

"The Rapid Intervention Brigade, (which currently has no general staff) and is made up of three

rapid intervention battalions, stationed in Doula, Tiko and Koutaba. These three battalions are

respectively the Bataillon Special Amphibie (BSA), the Bataillon des Troupes Aeroportees (BTAP)

and the Bataillon Blinde de Reconnaissance (BBR). The BSA is inspired by the French Special

Forces. This brigade is a tactical battle unit under the authority of the Chief of Staff of the armed

forces. For this to be engaged, the President’s agreement is necessary. Amongst its three

battalions, only the BTAP is operational;"

"Five motorised infantry brigades, supposed to be stationed in one military sector but which can

then be engaged without any regard to the territorial division of the country. These brigades

currently do not have a general staff. In theory, they consist of 11 motorised infantry battalions; 5

support battalions and 3 backing battalions; however, the motorised battalions are in reality not

operational due to a lack of staff, equipment and vehicles."

"Three rapid intervention battalions, the so-called BIR."

Air force

The Cameroon Air Force (Armée de l'Air du Cameroun) theoretically possesses a fairly well balanced

force of relatively unsophisticated aircraft, although many of these are now ageing and serviceability

levels are likely to be low. Emphasis is placed on transport and utility operations in support of ground

forces. Combat capability is modest and restricted to a few armed trainers that can be used for ground

attack, COIN and close air support roles. Six Atlas Impala jet trainers purchased from South Africa in

1997 had a lengthy gestation period before becoming operational and did not enter service until late

1998.

Currently, the air force has 6 Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jets (2 are currently inoperable) as attack aircraft;

3 Lockheed C-130 Hercules and 1 Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma transport aircraft, 1 Piper PA-23,

1 Aérospatiale Alouette II, 2 Joker 300, 7 Humbert Tétras for training and 2 Bell 206 as observation and

liaison aircraft. The independently operated Presidential aerial squadron has 1 Grumman Gulfstream III,

1 Aérospatiale Dauphin and 1 Aérospatiale Super Puma, which are not part of air force equipment.

Maintenance of aircraft of this squadron is better than for those of the air force.

Navy

Cameroon's Marine Nationale République modernised and increased its capabilities during 2000 with the

acquisition of a number of small Rodman patrol craft and the retirement of some small older craft. A

number of small patrol boats have been acquired or ordered from France. Latest estimates indicate naval

strength consists of two combat patrol vessels, three coastal patrol vessels and approximately 30 smaller

inshore and river patrol craft allocated to both the navy and the local gendarmerie. These include two 135

tonne Yunnan-class landing craft, which are able to carry and launch smaller craft for troop

insertions.Some effort has been made to assess equipment needs to bring L'Audacieux P103 and

Bakassi P104 to an effective combat status. This has resulted in weapons capabilities being reduced in

favour of an increase in serviceability and the service is now effectively without missile attack capabilities.

Bakassi (a Type P 48S missile patrol craft) completed a major refit at Lorient, France in August 1999. This

included removing the Exocet missile system and EW equipment, and fitting a funnel aft of the mainmast

to replace the waterline exhausts. New radars were also installed. Bakassi is now armed only with 40 mm

cannon. Although the Bizerte (Type PR 48 large patrol craft) class L'Audacieux is fitted for SS 12M

missiles these are not embarked and its operational status is in some doubt, having not been reported at

sea since 1995. The Quartier-Maître Alfred Moto patrol boat was listed as out of service in 1991 but was

reactivated.

Military Statistics

Manpower fit for service: Males age 16-49: 2,645,801 and Females age 16-48: 2,574,948

Military expenditure: 1.3 % of GDP 

Branches: Cameroon Armed Forces, Army, Navy, and Air Force

Air force personnel 300

Armed forces growth 79

Armed forces personnel 13,000

Arms imports > constant 1990 US$ 6,000,000 constant 1990 US$

Army personnel 11,500

expenditure > % of GDP 1.32 %

Expenditures 1.3 % of GDP

Expenditures > Dollar figure $221,100,000.00

Manpower > Availability > Females 4,228,625

Manpower > Availability > Males age 15-49 3,799,840

Manpower > Military age 18 years of age

Manpower > Reaching military age annually > Males 212,205

Navy personnel 1,300

personnel 23,000

personnel % of total labor force 0.37 %

US military exports $488.00 thousand

Weapon holdings 114,000

Issues

Oil conflict with Nigeriain1994, 1996 for Oil. The two neighbours each claimed ownership of the oil-rich

Bakassi peninsula. 

Outcome: Nigeria withdrew its troops from the area in 2006 in line with an International Court of Justice

ruling which awarded sovereignty of the area to Cameroon.

Culture

Cameroon religion comprises of a number of religions including Islam, Christianity along with several

indigenous religions. 

The Constitution of Cameroon guarantees freedom of religion. As a result the citizens are free to practice

any religion of their own choice. The northern part of the country is occupied by the Fulani tribe. The

people of this community are mainly Muslims. The Bamoun community inhabiting the western part of the

country also practice Islam. Christianity is the predominant religion in other parts of the country. The

French speaking people of the country inhabit the southern and western parts of the country and are

mostly Catholics while the English speaking population of the western region are Protestants. The total

number of Catholics in the country is far more than the number of Protestants. The Christian churches

exert a strong influence in South Cameroon. 

 

There are occasional feuds on the basis of religion in Cameroon. The Muslim Fulani tribe is often found to

be at loggerheads with the Kirdi group who adhere to indigenous beliefs since centuries. The national

radio network conducts religious programs for a couple of hours on a weekly basis. These programs

cover both the religions. The local stations also include such religious programs in their schedule.

Indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20%

24 major African language groups, French (official), English (official)

Ethnic group

The demographic profile of Cameroon is complex for a country of its population. Cameroon comprises an

estimated 250 distinct ethnic groups, which may be formed into five large regional-cultural divisions:

western highlanders (Semi-Bantu or grassfielders), including the Bamileke, Bamum (or Bamoun), and

many smaller Tikargroups in the Northwest (est. 38% of total population);

coastal tropical forest peoples, including the Bassa, Duala (or Douala), and many smaller groups in

the Southwest (12%);

southern tropical forest peoples, including the Beti-Pahuin, Bulu (a subgroup of Beti-Pahuin), Fang

(subgroup of Beti-Pahuin), Maka, Njem, and Baka pygmies (18%);

predominantly Islamic peoples of the northern semi-arid regions (the Sahel) and central highlands,

including the Fulani(French: Peul or Peuhl; Fula: Fulɓe) (14%); and

the "Kirdi", non-Islamic or recently Islamic peoples of the northern desert and central highlands

(18%).

In Cameroon, current migration flows take the form of a general movement from the countryside

to the cities, on the one hand, and a tendency to emigrate to Europe, particularly France, on the

other.

The country also serves as a destination for migrants, because of its relative political stability and

socio-economic potential, even though it is losing its attractiveness. Migration therefore seems to

be rather balanced in Cameroon, given that, according to the United Nations Population Division,

the net migration rate (per 1,000 persons) was zero during the 1995-2000 period, – 0.1 during the

2000-2005 period, – 0.2 for the 2005-2010 period and – 0.1 for 2010-2015 (UNPD, 2008).

Immigration into Cameroon

Immigration into Cameroon, which registered an upward trend in the 1970–1980 period (143,611

immigrants in 1976 and 257,689 in 1987), has been on a constant decline since then, with the

number of immigrants estimated at 228,383 in 2000, 211,880 in 2005 and 196,570 in 2010

(UNPD, 2009). It would therefore appear that Cameroon’s attractiveness has progressively

declined.

In 2007, immigrants came essentially from neighbouring countries: the Central African Republic,

Chad, Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria (DRC, 2007).

It is difficult to obtain further information about the types of immigrants concerned because of the

lack of detailed information in this regard. The scope of the informal economy makes it difficult to

efficiently manage migrant workers and thus obtain proper knowledge of their numbers and

characteristics. The lack of data is all the more significant since the household surveys (ECAM I

and II), conducted in 1996 and 2001, did not deal with the migration issue. The results of the last

census (2004), which was intended to provide specific indications, are still not available.

However, information on the presence of refugees and asylum-seekers in Cameroon is available.

By virtue of its geographical position (bordering almost all countries of the subregion) and its

political stability, Cameroon seems to be the preferred destination for many people fleeing from

wars in their countries of origin or residence. In 2007 and 2006, refugees in Cameroon essentially

came from Chad (40,500), the Central African Republic (24,000) and Nigeria (3,000). The total

number of refugees and asylum-seekers was estimated at 71,200 in 2007 compared with 58,800

in 2006 (USCRI, 2008; Ndione and Pabanel, 2007). Moreover, data from the Office of the United

Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 2008 indicated the existence of 81,037 refugees and

2,231 asylumseekers (UNHCR, 2009). This significant variation between the two periods is due to

the conflict situation prevailing in the Central African Republic and Chad.

Cameroonian emigration

Cameroonian emigrants were estimated at 170,363 in 2007. France – with 38,530 migrants – is

the preferred destination of Cameroonians, followed by Gabon (30,216), Nigeria (16,980) and the

United States (12,835) (DRC, 2007).

According to the partial data compiled by the African Affairs Directorate of the Ministry of External

Relations of Cameroon, between 250,000 and 300,000 Cameroonians lived in the Gulf of Guinea

States between 2000 and 2004, essentially because they belong to the same ethnic groups and

geographical area (Chouala, 2004).

The majority are long-term migrants given that 40 per cent reside in their country of emigration for

over ten years, and 16 per cent for a period of five to ten years (OECD, 2008).

Compared with other countries of the Central African subregion experiencing unrest (Central

African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo), Cameroon does not have many

refugees. They were estimated at 11,833 in 2007. Concerning asylum-seekers, after reaching a

peak of 6,289 in 2003, their number progressively declined during the following years to around

2,933 in 2008, mainly in Europe (Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland)

(UNHCR, 2009).

Cameroon has a significant number of highly skilled emigrants. In 2000, 17 per cent of the

Cameroonian population with a higher education emigrated (Docquier and Marfouk, 2005).

During the 1995–2005 period, 46 per cent of Cameroonian doctors and 19 per cent of nurses

emigrated to selected countries (Clemens and Pettersson, 2007). According to the Cameroon

Medical Association, 4,200 Cameroonian doctors, mostly specialists, are working abroad. Only

800, that is 1 for 10,000 to 20,000 inhabitants, are left in the cities, with 1 for 40,000 to 50,000 in

the distressed areas. It is believed that 20,000 African nurses and doctors emigrate to countries

of the north every year (Pigeaud, 2007).

Factors leading to migration

Migration in Cameroon can be explained by several factors that deter potential immigrants and

reduce migration flows into Cameroon, and cause the departure of Cameroonians. Indeed, like

most developing countries, Cameroon has been experiencing development difficulties since the

1980s due to poverty, economic crisis, soaring population growth, external debt burden, the

poorly controlled urbanization of cities and adjustment policies that are often not suited to the

national situation. The analysis of poverty indicators shows a 55 per cent incidence of poverty

among the population in 2007, which is far from the objective of 25 per cent that the State is

expected to achieve by 2015 (INS, ECAM III, 2007).

Cameroon has average human development, with a human development index ranging between

0.500 and 0.779 (UNDP, 2004 and 2006).

These various reasons explain the new migration trends of the rural populations towards the

cities, from the cities to countries of the subregion and finally to other continents, mainly Europe,

with the key objective of migrants being to improve their living conditions.

The consequences of migration on Cameroonian society

Migration in Cameroon has an impact on the national economy. Indeed, the transfer of funds by

Cameroonian emigrants helps fight poverty.

According to the World Bank, the amount of remittances from Cameroonian migrants was

estimated at USD 103 million in 2005, that is 2.5 per cent of official development aid. The amount

of funds transferred is constantly increasing. Estimated at USD 11 million in 2000, it rose to USD

103 million in 2004 and USD 167 million in 2008. This amount represents 0.8 per cent of the

country’s gross domestic product (World Bank, 2009).

Remittances are personalized and used for medical care, school fees, rent payments or the

purchase of consumer goods.

These transfers stimulate the country’s economic activity by replacing credit and other financing

methods and facilitating the initiation of projects and other income-generating activities.

Remittances significantly reduce the foreign exchange losses caused by deficits in the balance of

payments.

Cameroonian migration also has an impact on the labour market. The increase in the transfer of

funds led to the expansion of the banking system and the multiplication of banks and money

transfer companies, thus generating thousands of jobs. For example, since its creation about ten

years ago, Express Union, a local financial company, has opened more than 200 agencies

around the country and in the subregion. It generates close to 5,020 jobs (interview with an

Express Union employer, 2008).

The darker side of emigration is that it leads to brain drain. According to statistics provided by the

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, in 2005 Cameroonian migrants in

European countries numbered 57,050. Some 42.3 per cent of these are thought to be highly

qualified. This phenomenon specifically concerns doctors and academics.

The policy framework and migration management challenges

A review of the migration management policy framework in Cameroon has been under way since

2008, with respect to security policy, the transfer of migrant funds, issues concerning diaspora

(transfer of skills), return policies, brain drain and the irregular migration phenomenon.

The most recent law within this framework which essentially relates to the regulation of migration

flows is Act No. 97/012 of 10 January 1997. It sets the conditions of entry, stay and return of

foreigners in Cameroon (Sindjoun, 2004).

The priority, for both the new national migration policy and the programmes being drafted, is

support for co-development. Cameroon therefore relies on diaspora and its human and financial

investment capacity for the country’s development by creating incentives, even though Cameroon

is at the initial stages of programmes aimed at mobilizing diaspora.

To date, the effective implementation of decisions taken within the framework of the regulation of

migration flows by Cameroon is hindered by a certain number of shortcomings and

inconsistencies. These elements contribute to weakening the authorities’ policy framework and

encourage the development of individual strategies that enable migrants to move more easily

within the national territory delimited by borders that are poorly demarcated and porous

(Mbogning, 2004).

These elements are as follows:

- A policy that overly focuses on security aspects: Other types of problems concerning

employment, development and health are increasingly evident and require solutions. In its new

approach, the migration policy provides that, in addition to security problems, aspects related to

development, diaspora, the transfer of funds, the youth employment policy, brain drain and co-

development should be taken into consideration.

- The administrative individualism that characterizes the Cameroonian public service and the

absence of rigorous coordination: It is worth noting, however, that Cameroon has an inter-

ministerial working group on migration and development issues. Since the migration issue is

cross-cutting, this committee brings together various Cameroonian ministries. Each ministry is

responsible for identifying themes relating to migration and sending its contribution to the Ministry

of External Relations, which is responsible for formulating the new Cameroonian migration policy

framework. However, the Cameroonian system suffers from the fact that ministerial meetings and

inter-ministerial sessions are rarely convened, and from the lack of permanent inter-ministerial

committees on the regulation of migration flows (Mbogning, 2004).

- The insufficiency of mobilized resources: Indeed, the country does not have enough means for

the close supervision of borders.

Data gaps

It was difficult to collect data for the preparation of this profile because much information did not

exist, or was out of date, lacked precision and was not broken down. The difference in the

definition and calculation method from one study to another revealed that the statistics provided

by different sources, on the same information, do not correspond.The confidentiality of some

information and its availability also created problems.

There is a need to undertake further studies in order to generate more information, to

computerize data collection and to systematize data processing.

These problems will be dealt with and solutions found with the advent of greater understanding

and political will to facilitate this work.

Geography

Location: Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea

and Nigeria

Geographic

coordinates:

6 00 N, 12 00 E

Map references: Africa

Area: total: 475,440 sq km 

land: 469,440 sq km 

water: 6,000 sq km

Land boundaries: total: 4,591 km 

border countries: Central African Republic 797 km, Chad 1,094 km,

Republic of the Congo 523 km, Equatorial Guinea 189 km, Gabon 298 km,

Nigeria 1,690 km

Coastline: 402 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 50 nm

Climate: varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north

Terrain: diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center,

mountains in west, plains in north

Elevation

extremes:

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m 

highest point: Fako (on Mount Cameroon) 4,095 m

Natural resources: petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower

Land use: arable land: 12.81% 

permanent crops: 2.58% 

other: 84.61% (2001)

Irrigated land: 330 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos

and Lake Monoun volcanoes

Environment -

current issues:

waterborne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing;

desertification; poaching; overfishing

Environment -

international

agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,

Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,

Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94 

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa; throughout the country there

are areas of thermal springs and indications of current or prior volcanic

activity; Mount Cameroon, the highest mountain in Sub-Saharan west

Africa, is an active volcano.

United Nations Policy

 Cameroon is an active participant in the United Nations, where its voting record demonstrates its

commitment to causes that include international peacekeeping, the rule of law, environmental protection,

and Third World economic development. In the UN and other human rightsfora, Cameroon's non-

confrontational approach has generally led it to avoid criticizing other countries.

Cameroon enjoys good relations with the United States and other developed countries. Cameroon enjoys

generally good relations with its African neighbors. It supports UN peacekeeping activities in Central

Africa.

Cameroon–United States relations are international relations between Cameroon and the United States,

the relations are close, although from time to time they have been affected by concerns over human

rights abuses and the pace of political and economic liberalization. The bilateral U.S. Agency for

International Development (USAID) program in Cameroon closed for budgetary reasons in 1994.

However, approximately 140 Peace Corps volunteers continue to work successfully in agroforestry,

community development, education, and health. The Public Affairs section of the U.S. Embassy

in Yaoundé organizes and funds diverse cultural, educational, and information exchanges. It maintains a

library and helps foster the development of Cameroon's independent press by providing information in a

number of areas, including U.S. human rights and democratization policies. The Embassy's Self-help and

Democracy and Human Rights Funds are some of the largest in Africa.

Through several State Department and USAID regional funds, the Embassy also provides funds for:

refugees, HIV/AIDS, democratization and girl's scholarships. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

provided a commodity grant valued at $6 million in 2003 to fund agricultural development projects in the

North and Far North provinces. A similar program for $4 million was approved in 2004. The program will

fund an agricultural development and nutrition enhancement project in the East and Adamawa provinces.

The United States and Cameroon work together in the United Nations and a number of other multilateral

organizations. While in the UN Security Council in 2002, Cameroon worked closely with the United States

on a number of initiatives. The U.S. Government continues to provide substantial funding for international

financial institutions, such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and African Development

Bank, that provide financial and other assistance to Cameroon.

General health care / Education

Cameroon: fight HIV/AIDS

•In 2003, WHO/UNAIDS estimated Cameroon’s total antiretroviral therapy need to be about 85 000

people, and the WHO “3 by 5” target was calculated to be 42 500 people (based on 50% of estimated

need). In 2005, WHO/UNAIDS estimated that the number of people needing treatment in Cameroon had

risen to 108 000

•Cameroon set a national target of providing antiretroviral therapy to 36 000 people by the end of 2005.

•The National Multisectoral Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS for 2000–2005 targets 10 000 people in 2004 and

14 864 people in 2005. The Round 5 proposal for the Global Fund provides for the delivery of

antiretroviral therapy to 36 115 people, including 921 children, by 2008.

•As of October 2004, 12 896 people were reported to be receiving antiretroviral therapy. At the end of

2004, 15 296 people were receiving antiretroviral therapy. By June 2005, this increased to 17 940 people

receiving antiretroviral therapy, of which 427 were children.

•The Ministry of Health established the first treatment centre for providing antiretroviral therapy in March

2001. By December 2004, there were 23 certified treatment centres, mostly based in central and

provincial hospitals. The national plan for decentralizing antiretroviral therapy for 2004–2005 made

provision to increase the number of sites providing treatment from 23 to 83 by the end of 2005. By

September 2005, there were 89 sites providing treatment in the country, of which 68 were in the public

sector and 5 in the private sector and 16 were run by faith-based organizations. Geographical coverage of

antiretroviral services remains restricted; in September 2005 only 62 of 160 districts in the country had

access to antiretroviral therapy services.

•The number of facilities providing services for voluntary counselling and testing increased: from 18 at the

end of 2003 to 89 by September 2005, most of which are in the public sector. The number of facilities

providing services for preventing mother-to-child transmission increased from 160 at the end of 2003 to

462 by September 2005, covering 117 of the 160 districts, but needs to be expanded further. By

September 2005, 64 000 women, only 10% of the total number of pregnant women expected every year

at antenatal clinics, were tested and counseled for HIV. The national programme for preventing mother-

to-child transmission aims to cover at least 80% of health districts by 2006 and to offer HIV counselling

and testing to at least 80% of pregnant women.

Cameroon: Fighting the scourge of illiteracy

To encourage parents in this region to send their children to school a strange strategy has been devised.

Food rations have been introduced in some rural schools and this strategy seems to have greatly

improved the enrolment girls.

This “Food for Education” programme is supported by the World Food Program (WFP) in partnership with

the Canadian government to effectively improve the education of children from poor families in the North,

Far North and Adamawa. According to the World Food Program, more than 300 million children

worldwide suffer from chronic hunger and around 170 million of them go to school hungry, particularly in

Africa.

UNESCO also emphasizes that children who go hungry at school are easily distracted, have trouble

staying awake and concentrating on teaching.

According to Christophe Akono, a WFP official, the "rations" are intended to attract girls to schools. Some

receive bags of rice, oil and corn free at the end of school so they win in the parents, a way to convince

them that the school especially the girl is a very good thing, "he adds.

The ration is distributed during the period when household food stocks are at their lowest level and the

food aid is particularly useful in helping families to keep up until the next harvest season. The

establishment of school canteens in certain rural schools and volunteers sponsored by WFP, allows

students who live in distant places to take lunch in the school. These rations are prepared and distributed

to students during breaks. Whether Niger, Senegal, Ivory Coast and Cameroon, the programme appears

to have the targeted effect as more and more families are sending their children to school.

Thanks to this programme implemented since 1992 in the Northern regions, girl enrolment in school has

gone by 75%, according to a WFP evaluation.