The Resident Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Olivier Beer, and the Director General of the National Institute of Statistics (INS), Joseph Tedou, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Yaoundé in February 2024 to implement a statistical survey on forcibly displaced persons in Cameroon.
According to the INS, the nationwide survey will be conducted in June and July 2024. It aims to collect more and better data to improve the national response to forced displacement, as well as policies and programs to assist affected individuals.
For Olivier Beer, this survey is important to acquire reliable data for decision-making in refugee assistance. “To effectively include refugees and displaced people in national and local development plans and provide an appropriate response, we need quality data. This MoU will enable us to carry out surveys to inform the government’s decision-making process,” he stated
This agreement is part of the UNHCR’s Forced Displacement Survey (FDS) program, which aims to improve data on the socio-economic and living conditions of refugees, asylum seekers, and host communities.
Currently, UNHCR relies on two main sources of data: registration systems and household surveys. However, as the UN agency points out, “these surveys can be scattered, ad hoc, and sectoral, and may not conform to international statistical standards.” The FDS aims to address these challenges by establishing a standardized, compatible survey program that produces high-quality, timely, and multi-thematic data on forcibly displaced people.
Cameroon is one of three countries selected for the pilot phase of this World Bank-supported program. According to UNHCR data as of January 31, 2024, Cameroon hosts 2,222,702 forcibly displaced persons, including 478,469 registered refugees (of which 354,523 are from Central Africa, the largest group), 10,433 asylum seekers, 1,075,252 internally displaced persons, and 658,548 displaced returnees.