Nigeria’s IDP Camps Under Buhari’s Watch: Hunger, Malnutrition, Starvation and Death: Intentional or

Photo Credit: DailyPostNg

The current situation in North East Nigeria has turned millions into refugees in their own country. In the 2014 United Nations Human and Children’s Right (UNHCR) Global Trend’s report, a whooping 1.2 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) are in Nigeria and all this population comes from the North East. Most of this population, mostly Christians who fled the deadly terrorist group Boko Haram, live in designated IDP camps setup by the government and are responsible for providing food and other basic amenities. However, in cases where there is a specific request by the UN Secretary General and with the consent of the State concerned, the UN will respond by assisting IDPs in a given instance like in cases of Somalia, Sudan and south Sudan.

IDP camps from Adamawa, Taraba, Yobe, and Bama in Northern Nigeria are relaying very worrisome information across the globe. The reports of children and women dying of malnutrition and diarrhea due to no access to water, sanitation, shelter and worst of all food is mind blowing to people of good conscience. The situation has become worst and spawns a crisis in the region. Officials from Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) report that the month of June in 2016, 188 people died at the Bama IDP camp, which is home to 24000 IDPs; diarrhea and malnutrition were the causes. MSF further said they counted more than 1200 graves dug by the side of the camp of which almost 500 were children.

With this being the order of the day in the region it is shocking that local reports carry stories exposing the fact that “Thousands of IDPs in over 20 camps around Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, are left hungry as officials enrich selves from the sales of diverted food meant for IDPs…” It goes on to reveal that not only food is being diverted; medical supplies, beddings, toiletries and other amenities given to authorities for the well being of camp dwellers are also diverted. The whole issue with this is that there is a deep-rooted culture of grabbing even if it means directly affecting the lives of fellow countrymen like in the current situation.

This continuous act of terrorism against the IDPs, initiated by Boko Haram and concluded by the resource diverters is a serious crime against humanity; they should be caught and sanctioned same as the terrorist. The administration has to share in this public disgrace. How the camps are managed is to be under total surveillance not only because of the health of IDPs but to make sure the terrorist do not infiltrate them. If this is properly done, there will be a probe into the reasons for the massive loss of life and starvation in the IDPs. The government might be going through though economic times but providing food can never be a problem in this current day and age and it is peanuts compared with how much a single top government official spends on vacation. It makes the entire situation questionable and makes us ask if our leaders really care. Some have also wondered: is neglect of the Nigerian IDPs under Buhari’s watch deliberate and due to their Christian faith?

References:

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/06/200-refugees-die-starvation-nigeria-camp-160622204348768.html

http://opinion.premiumtimesng.com/2016/07/04/173743/

http://punchng.com/children-starving-death-idp-camps/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internally_displaced_person

http://www.internal-displacement.org/sub-saharan-africa/nigeria/figures-analysis

https://www.worldwatchmonitor.org/2016/07/4564551/

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Ernie J. Burgher is a bi-lingual freelance journalist and author, and speaks English and French. Ernie writes for SitiTalkBlog.

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