Cameroon is now the world’s most neglected displacement crisis, according to a new report from the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). Decision makers must recognise that displacement isn’t a distant crisis; it’s a shared responsibility which cannot be ignored.
The annual list of neglected displacement crises is based on three criteria: lack of humanitarian funding, lack of media attention, and a lack of effective political engagement to end conflict and improve conditions for displaced people.
The crisis in Ethiopia ranks second, its highest-ever placement on the list, while Mozambique, in third, features for the first time. Burkina Faso, which topped the list for the previous two years, ranks fourth. The Democratic Republic of Congo features eighth after ranking in the top three since this report’s inception. These shifts do not reflect meaningful improvements but instead they highlight a harsh reality: nearly all protracted humanitarian crises are now being neglected.
“International solidarity is being overtaken by increasingly introverted and nationalistic policies in previously generous donor nations. This is deepening the neglect of people affected by crisis and displacement at a time when a record number of people have been forced from their homes. Across Europe, the United States and elsewhere we have seen donors turn their backs on people in their hour of need,” said Jan Egeland, Secretary General of NRC.
“It is critical that we do not accept donors’ abandonment of aid as a foregone conclusion. Displacement isn’t a distant crisis: it’s a shared responsibility. We must stand up and demand a reversal of brutal aid cuts which are costing more lives by the day.”
The shortfall between what was required to meet humanitarian needs in 2024 and what was delivered was a staggering USD 25 billion, meaning over half of all needs went unmet. This figure is large but also roughly one per cent of what the world spent on defence in 2024.
“Adequate funding is essential. But funding alone cannot halt the suffering. Without effective conflict resolution, disaster prevention and diplomatic engagement, these protracted crises will go on and on. More people will be displaced, and more lives will be shattered,” said Egeland.
Cameroon has repeatedly featured high on this list and continues to grapple with three distinct and protracted crises that have displaced hundreds of thousands. It is a case study in global neglect: little diplomacy, underfunded and under-reported. The displacement crisis in the country was seldom mentioned in most media outlets around the world, leaving the realities for displaced and conflict-affected people invisible to many.
“Life is very difficult at times, and we get by with a little farming and working in small businesses to try and find enough to eat. We worry about the future of our children. They need to go to school. We have been forgotten here in Cameroon and it’s very difficult for us to even think about the future of our families,” said Djeinabou, 32, a refugee from the Central African Republic living in Cameroon.
“The world cannot plead ignorance when it comes to overlooking crises that feature in this report. Each year we warn that things will get worse, and each year that warning becomes a reality. This year I fear that more than ever. With aid budgets being slashed it is down to each and every one of us to stand up and tell global, regional and national politicians to change course, that we will not stand by and let those forced to flee be left behind. What we do this year will be remembered,” said Egeland.
Facts and figures:
- Each year, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) publishes a list of the ten most neglected displacement crises in the world. The purpose is to focus on the plight of people whose suffering rarely makes international headlines, who receive no or inadequate assistance, and who rarely become the centre of attention for international diplomacy efforts. The report is available here.
- The neglected displacement crises list for 2024 analyses 34 displacement crises based on three criteria: lack of funding, lack of media attention, and lack of effective international political and diplomatic initiatives. Full details of the methodology can be found here.
- The full list in order this year is: Cameroon, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Burkina Faso, Mali, Uganda, Iran, Democratic Republic of Congo, Honduras, and lastly Somalia.
- Cameroon ranked 2nd in 2023, 7th in 2022, 3rd in 2021, 2nd in 2020 and topped the list in 2019 and 2018.
- Ethiopia last featured on the list in 2021 when it ranked 10th.
- Mozambique appears on this list for the first time.
- Burkina Faso has appeared on this list for the previous six years. It ranked 1st in 2023 and 2022, 2nd in 2021, 7th in 2020, and 3rd in 2019.
- DR Congo topped the list three times (2021, 2020 and 2017). It ranked 2nd on the list in 2022, 2019, 2018 and 2016. It ranked 3rd in 2023.
- The 2024 humanitarian response plan for Cameroon was 45% funded with USD 168.2 million of the USD 371 million required meaning the funding gap was USD 202.8m [data pulled March 2025] (OCHA).
- Globally in 2024, USD 24.2 billion in funding was received against a total of USD 49.5 billion in requirements. This left a global funding gap of USD 25.3 billion (51.1%) [data pulled March 2025] (OCHA).
- Total military spending for 2024 was USD 2.46 trillion – equal to USD 6.74 billion per day. With the global humanitarian funding gap at USD 25.29 billion, this is equal to 3.7 days, or 1.03%, of global miliary spending in 2024 (IISS).
- The displacement crisis in Cameroon was mentioned in 28,800 articles in English, Spanish, French and Arabic in 2024. This is 15 times fewer than the crisis in Ukraine which was mentioned in 451,000 articles (Meltwater).
- Many major donors are cutting foreign aid budgets, which include both humanitarian and development funding. In January, the United States (US) suspended ongoing aid projects to conduct a foreign assistance review, forcing the majority of US-funded humanitarian work to be put on hold or, eventually, to cease (Devex). In February, the United Kingdom announced it would be cutting Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) from 0.5% to 0.3% of Gross National Income (UK Government). In February, the Dutch government also announced a EUR 2.4 billion cut in development aid from 2027 (Government of the Netherlands). The French government announced it would reduce public development assistance by more than EUR 2 billion – close to 40% of its annual funding (RFI). Swiss, Swedish, German and Belgian governments have also announced cuts in aid assistance budgets (Devex, Devex, SwissInfo, Development Today).
