In a context of refugee precarity, the article highlights the significance of inclusive economic models for sustainable resilience amidst protracted crises, examining the interplay between humanitarian aid and economic development within the Minawao camp. Initially established as a temporary solution, the camp now shelters over 76,000 Nigerians fleeing Boko Haram violence. The study focuses on analyzing initiatives implemented to promote economic empowerment and resilience for refugees within a sustainable humanitarian framework. Through a combination of survey data, document reviews, and interviews, findings reveal that while these initiatives align with Sustainable Development Goal 8, they remain limited and insufficiently adapted to the skills and needs of the refugees. The camp’s geographic isolation and the passive involvement of the Cameroonian government further exacerbate the refugees’ dependency on humanitarian aid. Consequently, the study advocates for greater host-state involvement beyond theoretical agreements, the diversification of economic opportunities beyond the camp, adjustment of empowerment programs to meet refugee needs, and strengthened funding through innovative partnerships.

Al Zoubi, S. T., Aw-Hassan, A., Dhehibi, B. (2019). Enhancing the Livelihood and Food Security of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon (p. 53) [Working paper]. International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11766/10065

Alalouf-Hall, D., Audet, F. (2020). Les camps de réfugié-es : De prisons à la notion de villes. Nouvelles approches pour valoriser l’économie locale des camps de réfugié-es. Retour sur l’atelier du forum international 2020. 13. https://occah.uqam.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/rapportatelierCECIVF.pdf

Al-Husban, M., Adams, C. (2016). Sustainable Refugee Migration: A Rethink towards a Positive Capability Approach. Sustainability, 8(451), 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/su8050451

Alloush, M., Taylor, J. E., Gupta, A., et al. (2017). Economic Life in Refugee Camps. World Development, 95, 334–347. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2017.02.030

Anwar, A., Ali, A. M., Yadav, U. N., et al. (2024). Promotion of livelihood opportunities to address food insecurity in Rohingya refugee camps of Bangladesh. Global Public Health, 19(1), 2295446. https://doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2023.2295446

Arsenault, É. (2024). Réfugiés et personnes déplacées internes, pareils pas pareils ? Ethnographie au cœur du régime humanitaire au Cameroun [Maîtrise en anthropologie - avec mémoire Maître ès arts (M.A.), Université de Laval]. https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11794/149425

Assemblée générale des Nations Unies. (2015, septembre 25). Résolution adoptée par l’Assemblée générale le 25 septembre 2015. Transformer notre monde : Le Programme de développement durable à l’horizon 2030. Nations Unies. https://www.un.org/fr/conferences/environment/newyork2015

Besiou, M., Pedraza‐Martinez, A. J., Van Wassenhove, L. N. (2021). Humanitarian Operations and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Production and Operations Management, 30(12), 4343–4355. https://doi.org/10.1111/poms.13579

Boeyink, C., Falisse, J. -B. (2022). Class in camps or the camped class? The making and reshaping of socio-economic inequalities in the refugee camps of north-western Tanzania. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 48(20), 4885‑4904. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2022.2123434

Bose, P. S. (2021). Refugees and the transforming landscapes of small cities in the US. Urban Geography, 42(7), 958‑978. https://doi.org/10.1080/02723638.2020.1785202

Brangeon, S., Bolivard, E. (2017). L’impact environnemental du camp de réfugiés de Minawao (p. 64) [Etude]. Groupe URD. http://www.urd.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/ImpactEnv_cameroun_BD_GroupeURD_2017.pdf

Cassam-Chenaï, F. (2020). L’Humanitaire dans la Globalisation. Discours de l’aide et enjeux du triptyque ``Humanitaire / Développement /Paix et sécurité’’ au Sahel: construction d’une “success story”? FMSH, WP-2020-144, 26. https://doi.org/halshs-02612497

Gabiam, N. (2016). Humanitarianism, Development, and Security in the 21st Century: Lessons from the Syrian Refugee Crisis. International Journal of Middle East Studies, 48(2), 382–386. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020743816000131

HCR. (2024a). Profil du camp de Minawao—Decembre 2023 (p. 3) [Rapport mensuel]. HCR, Cameroun. https://data.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/106671

HCR. (2024b). Global trends Forced displacement in 2023. https://www.unhcr.org/global-trends-report-2023

Hynie, M. (2018). Refugee integration: Research and policy. Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, 24(3), 265–276. https://doi.org/10.1037/pac0000326

Kluge, J., Docking, T., Ke Edelman, J. (2018). Paradigm Shift. How investment can unlock the potential of refugees. Refugee Investment Network. https://refugeeinvestments.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/RIN_Paradigm_Shift.pdf

Kodji, P., Tchobsala, Adamou, I. (2021). Impacts des réfugiés sur la contribution spécifique et le stock de carbone des herbacées de la savane de Minawao (Cameroun). Journal of Applied Biosciences, 164(1), 16970‑16982.

Leanza, Y. (2021). Le choix des mots. Alterstice, 5(1), 1–2. https://doi.org/10.7202/1077302ar

Lefort, C. (2020). Aide internationale, production de services publics et souveraineté étatique : L’exemple des réfugiés centrafricains dans l’Est-Cameroun: Politique africaine, n 158(2), 205–222. https://doi.org/10.3917/polaf.158.0205

Loschmann, C., Bilgili, Ö., Siegel, M. (2019). Considering the benefits of hosting refugees: Evidence of refugee camps influencing local labour market activity and economic welfare in Rwanda. IZA Journal of Development and Migration, 9(1), 23. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40176-018-0138-2

Magne, M. R., Aholou, C. C. (2024a). Influences of camp refugees on the environment of Minawao in Cameroon. GeoJournal, 89(4), 145. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-024-11154-y

Magne, M. R., Aholou, C. C. (2024b). Refugees in the Minawao camp: Status and erosion of social assistance in the face of the SDGs. Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development, 8(11), 8706. https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd.v8i11.8706

Mahamat, A. (2021). Déplacés et réfugiés au Cameroun : Profils, itinéraires et expériences à partir des crises nigériane et centrafricaine. Canadian Journal of African Studies / Revue Canadienne Des Études Africaines, 55(3), 585–607. https://doi.org/10.1080/00083968.2021.1880948

Malhotra, S. K., Vigneri, M., Dela Cruz, et al. (2023). Economic development interventions in humanitarian settings: A promising approach but more evidence is needed (p. 5). Centre for Excellence and Development Impact and Learning (CEDIL). https://doi.org/10.51744/CEB9

Moreno-Serna, J., Sánchez-Chaparro, T., Stott L. et al. (2021). Feedback Loops and Facilitation: Catalyzing Transformational Multi-Stakeholder Refugee Response Partnerships. Sustainability, 13(21), 11705. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132111705

Nations Unies. (2018). Pacte mondial sur les refugies. UNHCR. https://www.unhcr.org/sites/default/files/legacy-pdf/5c700c524.pdf

Obah, Y. H., Biango Nyama, L. B., Mengue, M. T. (2021). Action humanitaire et urbanisation au Tchad : Le cas d’Abéché et Goré. GARI. Recherches et débats sur les villes africaines, 1(1), 23. https://doi.org/10.46711/gari.2021.1.1.2

Oyaro, N. C. K. (2017). Factors Influencing Sustainability of Refugee Livelihoods: A Case of Doro Refugee Camp in Maban County, South Sudan [Master of Arts in Project Planning and Management, University of Nairobi]. http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/101697

Phillimore, J. (2021). Refugee-Integration-Opportunity Structures: Shifting the Focus from Refugees to Context. Journal of Refugee Studies, 34(2), 1946–1966. https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/feaa012

Rosine, T. O., Michel, S. K. (2023). Gestion des Réfugiés Centrafricains du Camp de GadoBadzéré dans la Région de l’Est (Cameroun) : A la Recherche de Solutions Durables. European Scientific Journal, ESJ, 19(20), 241. https://doi.org/10.19044/esj.2023.v19n20p241

Wake, C., Barbelet, V. (2020). Towards a Refugee Livelihoods Approach: Findings from Cameroon, Jordan, Malaysia and Turkey. Journal of Refugee Studies, 33(1), 125–142. https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/fez033

Walelign, S. Z., Sonne, S. E. W., Seshan, G. (2022). Livelihood Impacts of Refugees on Host Communities: Evidence from Ethiopia. E-Libray of World Bank Group-, 10044, 8. https://doi.org/10.1596/1813-9450-10044

Zakir Hossain, A. N. M. (2021). Sustainable Development and Livelihoods of Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh: The Effects of COVID-19. International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, 16(6), 1141–1152. https://doi.org/10.18280/ijsdp.160615