Abstract
The violence orchestrated by Boko Haram has displaced millions of people and triggered a complex humanitarian emergency across northern Nigeria and the Sahel region of West Africa. Communities have been forced to flee for their safety, abandoning livelihoods to take refuge in makeshift camps created for internally displaced people (IDP). The conflict is believed, directly and indirectly, to contribute to approximately 40,000 deaths and a range of diseases and social challenges. We conducted qualitative, semi-structured, interviews, between January 2023 and February 2024, among 15 internally displaced persons (8 women and 7 men), who resided in an IDP camp in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. We elicited the participants’ perspectives on their displacements from their homes and communities, and their perceptions of access to health care and related services such as food, water, and sanitation in the camp. We also conducted a rapid assessment of the camp environment and the interaction among the IDPs, humanitarian aid workers, and security personnel to ascertain additional environmental factors that could affect the health of the camp’s residents. The participants reported disruption to family structure, limited access to health care services, education, and employment within the camp. They also reported religious discrimination, food shortages and inadequate access to water and sanitation. The findings from this study can inform the global response to similar complex humanitarian emergencies in other regions. This study adds to the understanding of global conflicts and reinforces the need for coordinated action to strengthen the health and safety of IDPs.
Presenters
Isidore UdohAssociate Professor, Health Sciences and Physical Education, Northeastern Illinois University, Illinois, United States Tiara Duncan
Student, Bachelor of Science in Community Health, Northeastern Illinois University, Illinois, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Boko Haram, Internally Displaced Persons, Nigeria, Refugee, Forced Migration
