Cameroon, like every country in the world, had to deal with the COVID-19 health crisis from March 2020, with significant economic and social consequences. The implementation of restrictive measures to contain the spread of the disease, both globally and nationally, led to a sharp slowdown in economic activities, with notable consequences for businesses and household living conditions. A survey carried out in May 2020 by the Institut National de la Statistique (INS), with the support of the Ministry in charge of the Economy (MINEPAT) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), revealed that almost 90% of businesses, mainly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), said they were affected by COVID-19, with some at risk of ceasing operations. It should be noted that the private sector in Cameroon is largely made up of SMEs, which operate mainly in the tertiary sector, making them even more vulnerable to internal and external shocks. Faced with this situation, the government's response to the pandemic took the form of the development and implementation of the Global Strategy for Economic and Social Response and Resilience.

While positive effects on economic recovery are already perceptible, the outbreak of war in Ukraine is an additional shock that is damaging the growth momentum already underway, particularly for SMEs. Against this backdrop, the Government of Cameroon intends to pursue and accelerate the implementation of the Global Pandemic Response Strategy, in particular Pillar 2 on economic and financial resilience, by improving the resilience and strengthening the economic recovery of affected SMEs. In collaboration with the UNDP, the Government is committed to mobilizing additional loan financing from the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), within the framework of the “Operation to Support the Cameroonian Private Sector” (OSSP-CMR).