As of January 2024, more than 2 million people are on the move in Cameroon, including more than 1 million internally displaced persons (UNHCR 2024).
Cameroon continues to be affected by three complex humanitarian crises:
1. Instabilities in the northern regions, bordering Nigeria
2. The Anglophone crisis in the North-West and South-West (NOSO crisis)
3. The civil war in the Central African Republic (CAR)
Douala has emerged as a prominent location and a concentration center for internally displaced persons (IDPs). The influx of new arrivals is concentrated in specific areas of Douala, namely the municipality (or subdivision) of Douala 4, Douala 3, and Douala 5, sequentially. The influx of IDPs and their informal circumstances, including housing and employment, create new spatial, social and economic dynamics.
UN-Habitat, funded by SECO, aims to improve access to reliable services and socio-economic opportunities for displaced populations in Douala through the Programme UPIMC: Urban Planning and Infrastructure in Migration Contexts.
In April 2023, the UNHCR study on the census of the number of displaced people within the different communes of Douala reported 2 871 refugees and 1 358 asylum seekers in Douala 3. As for Internally Displaced Persons the municipality had 12 422 IDPs in 2021 (OCHA 2019).
Due to the large number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the considerable urban constraints it faces, the Douala 3 Subdivision (CAD3) was selected as the second site to implement the UPIMC Programme in Cameroon.
As a first step, the Profile was developed at the national, regional and Douala city scales. Following it focuses on the Subdivision of Douala 3.
Through a participatory planning approach, consisting of technical committees, validation meetings or planning workshops with local authorities, sectoral ministries, IDP groups and their representatives, international organizations, NGOs, civil society and the University of Douala – Depart. of Geography, the Profile of Douala 3 provides an understanding of the challenges and opportunities of the current urban dynamics.
Unequal distribution of basic urban services, gaps in public infrastructure, urbanization of environmental areas are identified, mapped and presented. This diagnostic can then be used as a basis for informed decisions regarding short, medium and long-term urban development strategies and infrastructure investment planning.
In conclusion, the pilot neighborhood of Ndogpassi Plage will be selected and further detailed in the upcoming Strategic Vision and Area Planning of Douala 3 development stages.
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