Cogent Social Sciences (Dec 2024)
Displacement-induced destitution in Cameroon: seeking durable livelihood solutions for internally displaced persons from the Anglophone crisis
Abstract
The proliferation of internal displacement is a socio-economic crisis in Africa that requires scrutiny of the livelihoods of the internally displaced. Despite acknowledging the vulnerabilities, poverty, and insecurity of internally displaced people reliant on humanitarian assistance, governments and other stakeholders have not taken concrete initiatives to remedy the situation. This study focuses on civil conflict-induced internal displacement and received funding from the UK’s Global Challenges Research Fund to address an urgent socio-economic need in developing countries. The research interrogated viable livelihood options for internally displaced persons from Cameroon’s ongoing Anglophone crisis. Anchored by a sustainable livelihood conceptual lens, the methodology utilised a predominantly qualitative research design to generate empirical data from local humanitarian agencies servicing internally displaced persons through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. Key findings reveal limited humanitarian assistance and numerous livelihood challenges facing the internally displaced, poor management of humanitarian funds by public agencies, ways to assist IDPs in achieving sustainable livelihoods, weak collaboration/coordination between the government and local humanitarian agencies to help displaced persons in sustaining their livelihoods, the assistance local humanitarian organisation needs to help displaced persons gain self-reliant livelihoods, broad support for viable livelihoods and suggestions on achieving them. This study provides evidence-based knowledge on durable livelihoods for internally displaced people and enhances academic literature and policy development on internal displacement. Insights from the findings inform recommendations that would mitigate the risk of permanently trapping displaced persons in a vicious cycle of destitution and food aid dependency and instead foster self-reliance during internal displacement.
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