Thursday, July 8, 2021
Yaoundé, Cameroon – The U.S. Embassy in Yaoundé is pleased to announce that local organization Afrique Justice has been selected as the recipient of the 2021 Julia Taft Refugee Fund. This fund was created to support local initiatives that improve the lives of refugees and/or returnees via a one-time intervention. Afrique Justice received $24,800 U.S. dollars for the construction of four toilet blocks and a modern well with a manual pump in Tihomo, Garoua-Boulai Subdivision in the East Region. These resources will serve 5,225 out-of-camp refugees with improved sanitation conditions and safe drinking water, reducing waterborne and sanitation-related diseases. The grant supports the installation, training of maintenance teams, and education programs on good hygiene practices.
This is the 14th year in a row that the United States government has awarded a Cameroonian organization with a Julia Taft grant. The United States is the largest donor of humanitarian assistance in Cameroon, contributing over $89 million U.S. dollars in fiscal year 2020 to provide food, water, shelter, and other services for vulnerable populations. We provided food to more than 520,000 of the most vulnerable people in Cameroon – refugees, the internally displaced, and other Cameroonians affected by conflict.
We recognize the hospitality of the government of Cameroon and of the Cameroonian people in continuing to host more than 446,500 refugees from neighboring countries. Protecting the rights of refugees and ensuring they have access to jobs and education for their children is fundamental to supporting stability in the region. The United States stands ready to continue to work with the Cameroonian government to support refugees inside its borders.