In Nigeria, Internally Displaced persons (also known as IDP’s) are mostly victims of communal clashes, clashes between Fulani and villagers terrorism (Boko haram), etc.
Below are 7 sad facts about the IDP (internally displaced people) camps in Nigeria.
1. Nigeria has the highest number of IDP’s in Africa
According to Internal Displaced Monitoring Centre (IDMC), Nigeria has about 2.2 million persons displaced by conflict – the highest number in Africa. And this is solely because of the recent spike in attacks by insurgents and communal clashes in north eastern Nigeria. Source
2. Women and children suffer the most In the camps
In the various IDP camps in North Eastern Nigeria, the plight of women is virtually more critical than men. They experience untold hardship, lack of medical health care, child trafficking and rapes. Source
3. There are fewer than 30 official camps in Nigeria
There are fewer than 30 official IDP camps spread across northeast Nigeria alone of which Only nine percent of the 2.2 million people displaced live in while the remainder live within host communities, public schools etc on makeshift beds.
4. Malnutrition is responsible for most in-camp deaths
According to The Borno Emergency Management Agency about 450 children – aged between one and five years – died of malnutrition in 28 Internally Displaced Persons’ camps in the state in 2015. Source.
5. Children have the most population in all IDP camps
Children constitute more than half of the total IDP figure; of which a little over half of them are orphans. Also, around 26 percent of them are aged under five years.
6. Poor nature of the camps
Insecurity and the resulting displacement of more people have resulted to the overcrowdedness of camps all over the country, and this has led to aggravated low levels of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene access that existed prior to the resulting overcrowding.
As a result of this, a chunk of their population don’t have access to safe water, basic sanitation or proper hygiene.
7. Donations made to the camps are siphoned away on a daily basis
Despite the billions of naira worth of medical supplies, cash and gifts – rice, beans etc – that are donated by the government, good citizens and NGOs, for the upkeep of IDPs, people in these camps all over Nigeria still suffer from starvation, hunger, malnutrition and lack of proper hygiene. All thanks to the Crookedness of those in charge of the IDP camps.
