Rotten Under-bellies Of North-east IDPs Camps

Rotten Under-bellies Of North-east IDPs Camps

The major problem confronting government recognized IDPs camps in Borno State is welfare: Displaced persons are finding it difficult to regain their pre- conflict way of life and living because of the poor living condition and poor sanitation which they are subjected to, and which expose them to infectious diseases.

The poor hygiene of the facilities and the environment they live in enhance growths and transmission of infectious bacteria, fungi and virus on the internally displaced persons, IDPS. The poor feeding which they are equally subjected to, leaves mostly the children malnourished, dying and dead. There is also poor provision of social infrastructure such as power, water, and healthcare.

The IDPs in Borno State camps were hosted without any structured rehabilitation plan.  They are left to live a life of survival of the fittest, which has made the camps fertile for the all manners of crimes  that thrive inside the camps. For instance, there have been series of reported cases of drug peddling and abuse as well as high rate of girl child prostitution in most of the camps. This has resulted to unrestrained pregnancies and child births in the camps and the reason for all these is fight for survival amidst abject lack.

Rehabilitation process of the IDPs in the  camps has been lacking. There seem to be a deliberate attempt from the government to ignore the displaced persons; this is evident in several failed, unfulfilled promises made by government and worse is the politicising of IDPs situation.

Recently there have been series of allegations of diversion of food and medicine meant for the IDPs, allegedly by some agents of government of Borno State

The Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières, or MSF) medical team that arrived the camp, located in Bama, in Borno State, for the first time discovered 16 severely malnourished children at the threshold of death and referred them to a therapeutic feeding center.

MSF said a rapid nutritional screening found 19 per cent of more than 800 children in the camp suffering from the deadliest form of malnutrition. During its assessment, the MSF team counted 1,233 graves, 480 for children, that have been used for burial in the past year near the camp.

“At least 188 people have died in the camp, mainly from diarrhea and malnutrition, since May 23. The camp shelters 25,000 people, including 15,000 children, among them 4,500 under the  age of five”, MSF said.

Head of federal government delegation that visited Bama IDPs camp after the report of malnourishment, Hajiya Maryam Uwais attested to the enormity of the challenges in the camp as over 50 malnourished children and adults had to be evacuated from the camp same day of their visit.

The Brigade Commander 21 Armoured Brigade Bama, Col Adama Garba Laka while conducting the federal government delegation, led by the special adviser to the president on Social Investment, Mrs Mariam Uwais round the Bama IDPs camp said the Bama IDPs camp came into being since March 2015.

He however told the delegation that most of the internally displaced persons in the camp were rescued recently from various Boko Haram enclaves and suffered the malnutrition in the camp of the terrorists. He said that there are cases of malnourished children between 0-5 years most of whom came out of bush already malnourished.

Col Laka highlighted some of the health challenges in the camp to include poor sanitary situation, lack of adequate shelter for the IDPs who live under makeshift  zink structure under the scorching sun of Borno State, potable drinking water and lack of toilet systems as most of the IDPs defecate in the open with the camp.

“ As they come out from the bush, no medical official was around to cater to the health need of the victims and only food is what the camp have for them. The facilities here cannot cater for these IDPs and if the situation continues, we will evacuate them to Maiduguri”, Col Laka said.

He disclosed that there are quite an alarming number of pregnant teenagers and malnourished adults in the camp of 25,000 displace persons. With these alarming report in the Bama IDPs camp as example, it is hoped that government will sincerely swing to action by ensuring that basic needs of the IDPs like drugs, medical personnel, better shelter and adequate feeding formula are made priority in all the camps across the state and beyond.

Government  should also empower the IDPs economically before their final resettlement to their various communities and as peace gradually returns.

Yobe has the highest number of IDPs, within the North-east, but there was no camp in the state, as at December 2014. Subsequently, the helpless IDPs set up three camps by self help. They are: “Camps Kukareta, Pompamari and Radio- house IDPs and much later Ali Gombe Farm and Bukar Ali Primary School, Damaturu.

Bukar Ali camp was closed down in October, 2015, while Pampamari and Kukareta IDPs camps, the two government camps were established. These two camps receive, assistance from international donor agencies and some NGOs, the camps also witness a good of presence of NEMA and SEMA activities.

The pathetic situation in Yobe IDP camps can be illustrated by what obtains in Kukareta IDP Camp. Kukareta Camp which has about 4,000 IDPs is located on KM 25 on Damaturu-Maiduguri Express Way.

The camp which was not recognised officially by SEMA, receive minimal support of food and water.  Few IDPs that are lucky, feed twice a day. The village primary school house some of the IDPs, with over 98 per cent of the displaced population living in makeshift structures made of polythene sheets and shrubs and grasses.  Many sleep in the open.

The sanitation situation was very poor with 44 toilets out of which only 14 are functional.  Twelve water system toilets were constructed by world Bank but cannot be used due to water shortage, the IDPs often defecates in an open space, because there was no bathrooms in kukareta camp and often take their bathes into open, mostly from the stagnant water pond.

As our correspondent visited the camp, the displaced persons were seen happy, leaving what is hell on earth back their homes, others are reluctant because they are still not sure of the safety of the homes. Most have lost everything as a result they have nothing to go back home to, while others are reluctant because moving back home reminds them of the bitter experience of the past as such would prefer to resettle in another community,

One of the IDPs, Maryam Buba Yadi at the Kukareta camp complained of congestion and sometimes, lack of beddings with many of them sleeping on the floor,yet government and individuals continue to donate relief materials including mattress and food items.

Some of the displace persons accused the state government, officials of the camp and federal government delegates of diverting the items meant for the camps.

Another IDP Umar Aji told our reporter of poor health facilities, poor camp environment, inadequate food stuff, lack of mattress/beddings and inadequate security personnel in the camps, adding that government needs to give attention to the situations.

They expressed dissatisfaction with the experience they have had on the camp so far and appealed to government to utilise the huge amount being donated to the rehabilitating them so that they can live normal lives like others.

Mohammed Saleh said they had appealed to government severally to fumigate the camp premises with herbicides to kill the overgrown grasses so as to reduce the breeding of mosquitoes, rodents and snakes but nothing was done to that effect.

Many of the IDPs are said to be suffering from malaria fever due to lack of  mosquito nets for them at the camp. Although there is a camp clinic, it is not functional due to lack of drugs.

LEADERSHIP Sunday can reveal that the IDPS have now resorted to herbal medications to treat their ailments since they could not access drugs at the clinic.

Meanwhile, there have not enough toilet facilities and bathrooms for IDPs in the camp. Only very few toilet are said to be available in the camp. While others they are take their bathes in an open place as there are no bathrooms.

Feeding has equally been a serious challenge for the IDPs in the camp as they lamented that government has not been forthcoming in bringing food stuff to the camp

A woman leader of the camp who does not want her name to print said that life has been difficult for children and women. According to her, “ We women and children have been facing a lot of challenges. The food we eat at times, we just manage it. Even as I speak to you now, there is no food for us to eat this morning. There is congestion in the camp and some of us sleep on the ground, we had that federal government and other non-governmental organisation as we well as individual donating food stuff to out camp. Where are the items and we are suffering here. Let them take us back to our homes to live with our people since they cannot take care of our lives here.