Partnering with Government for a Climate-Ready Future in Cameroon
- Standby Partnership Network
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
Cameroon continues to face complex and prolonged humanitarian crisis driven by conflict, displacement, food insecurity, and climate shocks. Ongoing violence has uprooted hundreds of thousands of people, while instability in neighbouring countries has brought more than half a million refugees into Cameroon. Overlapping crises, compounded by rising prices and the effects of climate change on agriculture, have left more than three million people food insecure. Vulnerable communities, particularly displaced families, women, and children, continue struggle to access nutritious food, clean water, and essential services, with malnutrition rates remaining alarmingly high in several regions.
In this context, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) deployed Robert Kalega through the Standby Partnership Network to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Cameroon as a Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Officer from January 2025 to January 2026. His assignment supports the Government of Cameroon in implementing and operationalising climate actions, disaster preparedness and early warning systems.
Through closer collaboration with national institutions, including the National Observatory for Climate Change, the Civil Protection Directorate, and the Department of National Meteorology, Robert’s deployment has strengthened both government and partner efforts to build more effective early warning systems. His work has supported WFP’s resource mobilisation, contributing to significant proposals such as submissions to the African Development Bank’s Climate Action Window and the World Bank’s Flood Preparedness Initiative.
Beyond his initial tasks, Robert provided technical support for the lean season response coordination, which reached approximately 31,800 beneficiaries with cash-based transfers between July and October 2025. Reflecting on his experience, he emphasises the importance of integrating climate considerations into all aspects of humanitarian programming.,
“Climate change cannot be addressed in isolation; it must be integrated into humanitarian and development programmes from the design stage through implementation”.
This is Robert’s second standby deployment with DRC. He highlights how being a Standby Deployee can allow him to balance meaningful humanitarian work with personal well-being:
“Standby deployments offer the flexibility to grow professionally while maintaining vital family connections. I have been able to take leave to spend time with my children in Uganda during their school holidays, which makes this experience both personally and professional fulfilling.”
Robert's deployment demonstrates how Standby Partnerships can strengthens national capacity, embeds climate resilience within humanitarian operations, and allows experienced professionals to contribute effectively to global climate adaptation efforts while preserving the balance between service and family life.