Financial support for refugee pupils has increased considerably in Cameroon, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reveals in a recent report. According to the agency, the increase enabled 16,294 refugee children to go to school this year, compared to 2,023 in 2022. 

This aid is essentially provided by the "Educate a Child" program launched by UNHCR in 2012 to improve children's access to quality education. For a long time, Cameroon was not eligible for this program in Africa. This financial support will now help public authorities increase the school enrolment rate of refugee children. Primary school enrolment rate is a major concern for the Cameroonian government and the Ministry of Basic Education in particular.  

According to the UNHCR, the primary school enrolment rate of refugees increased during the 2022-2023 school year. "But this increase is mainly due to the decrease in the number of young refugees aged 18 to 24 registered following the verification exercise carried out by UNHCR in 2022," the UN agency stresses.

Michel Ange Nga