UNICEF and TİKA join forces to strengthen youth engagement and community resilience to emergencies and climate change in Cameroon

Yaounde, 20 January 2026 – UNICEF and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening their collaboration in Cameroon in support of child rights, youth engagement, and responses to humanitarian and climate-related emergencies.

This partnership, established for an initial period of two years, seeks to combine the expertise, networks, and resources of both organizations to support the most vulnerable children and young people, particularly in regions affected by humanitarian crises and climate shocks. It places a strong emphasis on strengthening the U-Report/U-Responders initiative, led by UNICEF, which mobilizes young people as agents of change within their communities.

The agreement outlines concrete actions to:

• Strengthen the capacities of U‑Reporters and U‑Responders through training on disaster management, child rights, and first aid (CPR, hemorrhage control, fracture management).
• Provide equipment and materials to young U‑Reporters for environmental protection (shovels, wheelbarrows, boots, gloves, watering cans, first-aid kits).
• Promote collaboration with Turkish companies and the diaspora to support local initiatives, awareness campaigns, and innovative financing projects benefiting young people.
• Integrate child rights into the policies and standards of companies and institutions by developing tailored guides and training modules.
• Mobilize resources and expertise for collective action, advocacy campaigns, and public–private partnerships.

“This partnership with TİKA reflects our shared commitment to placing children and young people at the center of solutions to humanitarian, climate, and social crises,” said Nadine Perrault, UNICEF Representative in Cameroon. “By supporting youth engagement and strengthening community capacities, we are investing in sustainable solutions that protect children’s rights today and build a more resilient future for tomorrow.”

For its part, TİKA highlighted the importance of this collaboration in enhancing the impact of Turkish cooperation in Cameroon, particularly for the benefit of children and young people. “TİKA is honored to partner with UNICEF in an initiative that puts children and youth at the heart of action. This Memorandum of Understanding reflects our vision to promote sustainable human development grounded in education, health, and solidarity,” stated Melih Çağatay Artunay, TİKA Programme Coordinator in Cameroon. “By working together, we aim to support concrete initiatives led by young people and communities, while engaging Turkish companies and the diaspora to actively contribute to the promotion of child rights in Cameroon.”

Through this collaboration, UNICEF and TİKA reaffirm their shared determination to work in a coordinated and innovative manner to sustainably improve the lives of children and young people in Cameroon, especially those affected by humanitarian emergencies and the impacts of climate change.