Prospects and Challenges of the Protection of Humanitarian Relief Workers in the Underway Armed Conflicts in the Northwest and Southwest Regions of Cameroon

The protection of humanitarian relief workers in armed conflict cannot be overemphasized, this protection existed many decades ago although it became known and universally recognized only with the emergence of landmark conventions like the 1864 Geneva Convention, the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907, the Four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and a plethora of other conventions geared at protecting humanitarian relief workers. The purpose of the study is to unravel the prospects and challenges of the protection of humanitarian relief workers in the Anglophone Cameroon Armed Conflicts and giving possible recommendations geared at improving the protection mechanism. The study uses the qualitative research methodology, employing primary data sources from vital conventions like the 1864 Geneva Convention, the 1949 Geneva Conventions with a host of other conventions. Secondary data came from textbooks, journal articles, reports, and newspapers. The study is underpinned by the triple-pronged theory and the human needs theory. The findings in the study reveals blatantly that the protection of humanitarian relief workers in the Anglophone Cameroon armed conflicts is abysmal and needs serious intervention irrespective of the fact Cameroon has ratified all the relevant conventions in the protection of same. As a corollary, there is need therefore to reinforce the government institutions, improve security and a host of other measures geared at improving the protection of humanitarian relief workers in Cameroon.