Waru IDPs demand return home over poor camp conditions
People displaced by Book Haram in the north east and living on a camp in Abuja for the last four years have lamented the deplorable environment of the camp and demanded to be relocated to their states of origin. The camp, called Yimutu Village, is sited at Waru, Apo area of Abuja and houses […]
People displaced by Book Haram in the north east and living on a camp in Abuja for the last four years have lamented the deplorable environment of the camp and demanded to be relocated to their states of origin.
The camp, called Yimutu Village, is sited at Waru, Apo area of Abuja and houses hundreds, many dependent of donations and philanthropy for food and basic needs.
The residents placed their demands to the National Emergency Management Agency during a medical outreach by a nongovernmental group, Envision Global Care Foundation, insisting they are “sick and tired of this environment,” according to one resident James Vincent.
Residents lament the absence of health care facilities and water on the camp.
“We have to trek for several kilometres before we are able to obtain water and sometimes we buy the water at exorbitant price, which is not right,” said Vincent.
He said many women and children have been taken ill with water-borne diseases due to a lack of potable water.
“Even when we have to go to the primary health care facilities outside the community, there is no money for us to leave the community,” said Vincent.
“Our children are missing school, and education is very important. We want government to come to our aid.”
Formerly a petty trader, he has lived on Yimutu Village camp for displaced people the past four years and turned to petty farming, but insists what he makes off the land is insufficient to cater for his wife and five children.
Another resident of the Waru camp, Sarah Duka, also appealed to be relocated, insisting the population was uncomfortable.
Her daughter suffers from malnutrition, she said in tears.
“My daughter cannot afford three square meals in a day. Please take us out of this community, we are tired,” she lamented.
Envision, which donates relief materials every month on camps for displaced people, has called for stronger health system in efforts to reduce disease burden among residents.
“We are here to help the residents of the internally displaced camps who have suffered hardship and pains over the years, due to displacement from their state of origin,” said Chinonyerem Ndukwe, a technical assistant for the group.
Envision ran general tests on hundreds of residents at the weekend and treated many for malaria, citing the absence of a health centre where they could be treated.
“We are here to cater for their needs and give them free health care services that will reduce the disease burden in the camps,” said Ndukwe, stressing need to mobilise resources and relief materials for care on camps.
“We can see that the situation on ground is not very encouraging,” said Benjamin Oghenah, deputy director for disaster and risk reduction at NEMA.
“There is no basic facilities for the resident that will make them comfortable, no health facilities at the moment.”
He added NEMA would be glad to benefit from data generated by outreaches on the camp and “work with the result to alleviate the plight of residents on the camp.”