NAN-AE-7
Camps
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, June 29, 2017 (NAN) The Network for Women’s Rights and Justice, an NGO, has decried the “poor living conditions’’ of women and children in the camps set up for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the FCT.
The group’s Policy Adviser, Mrs Angela Anosike, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday that the majority of the women and girls in the camps did not have access to potable water and toilet facilities.
She urged all stakeholders to step up their efforts to improve the lives of the female residents of the IDPs camps as they constituted the “vulnerable groups.’’
Anosike underscored the need to properly address the challenges facing women and girls in the camps so as to guard against the onset of a serious humanitarian crisis.
She also called on the Federal Government to partner with stakeholders in meeting the needs of women and girls in IDPs camps.
According to her, the group has collaborated with other groups like Gender Equality, Peace and Development Centre in undertaking the assessment of the people’s living conditions in IDPs camps in Abuja as well as Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.
Anosike noted that the violent insurgency in those states had provoked the displacement of many persons and their deplorable living conditions.
The policy adviser said that more efforts should be made to improve the wellbeing of the displaced persons, particularly women and children.
“In the IDPs camps, the people experience harrowing conditions such as paucity of basic amenities and the risk of contracting diseases such as malaria, typhoid and cholera.
“Some of them suffer from psycho-social trauma but unfortunately, the IDPs are helpless and fearful; they also lack the voice and skills to facilitate the fulfilment of their basic needs,’’ she said.
Anosike said that the team, which visited places like Chibok, Bama, Konduga and Gwoza communities, found out that post-insurgency reconstruction facilities were still lacking in the areas.
She particularly called for the improvement of the access of women and girls to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities.
“The toilet facilities in the camps are very poor and inadequate, for this reason, many IDPs use the surrounding bushes as makeshift toilets.
“There is the need for the number of toilets to be increased; women and men also need separate toilets so as to boost the privacy and wellbeing of all IDPs in the camps,’’ she said.
Anosike appealed to Nigerians to show more love to IDPs, saying that they became displaced as a result of the insurgency in their neighbourhoods. (NAN)
TAK/JIE/OOK
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Edited by Julius Enehikhuere and Dayo Komolafe