Cameroon
Overview
In support to activities in the country, WFP has established a differentiated logistical approach in Cameroon, depending on the region where the food is destined.
Team
The Logistics team in Cameroon numbers approximately 20 staff between the head office and sub offices.
Activities
Port operations
The on-forwarding of food consignments from the port to Northern Cameroon combines both rail and road transports. Cargo is loaded on wagons at the port of Douala up to the logistics hub of Ngaoundéré, where it is transhipped on trucks directly to the three extended delivery points (EDPs) in Ngaoundéré, Garoua and Maroua. The supply of the five EDPs (Bertoua, Batouri, Beka, Ngam and Meiganga) in Eastern Cameroon is simpler: food received at the port is loaded on trucks and delivered directly to the warehouses.
Storage
The transport and handling of food remains a big challenge for WFP activities in Cameroon. The Country Office has erected three Wiik-halls, thus providing an additional storage capacity of 1,200 metric tons.
Surface Transport
Concerning the road network, many stretches are unpaved, especially from the extended delivery points to the final delivery points, making navigation difficult during the rainy season.
Corridor activities are an important and ever increasing part of WFP logistics in Cameroon. Large quantities of food purchased internationally and earmarked for landlocked Chad and Central African Republic are received at the port of Douala and transited through the Cameroonian territory. According to 2008 statistics, over 75,000 metric tons of food transited through the Douala corridor, of which 49,600 metric tons were destined to Chad, 16,500 metric tons to the Central African Republic and 9,000 metric tons to Cameroon. In order to manage the continuing flux of cargo along the corridor, WFP established a field logistics office in Douala to supervise port activities and an office in Ngaoundéré to supervise the transhipment operation from wagons to trucks.
Rail
Railways in Cameroon are managed by the private company CAMRAIL. The railways are combined with roads for transport of goods, however, they offer limited capacity in terms of wagons and derailments are not uncommon.
Aviation
There are currently no aviation services in Cameroon.
