Save the Children in Nigeria has called for improved humanitarian assistance for children affected by the devastating flood in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.
The Country Director, SCI, Nigeria, Duncan Harvey, during a news conference in Abuja, said that there were more than 150,000 children in 26 camps, and many have been disconnected from their families.
Harvey, while speaking on his visit along with his team to see the situation of things in Maiduguri and offer humanitarian assistance, said the disaster was the worst in living memory in 30 years.
He said: “Last week’s flooding in Borno is one of the worst in 30 years, affecting 400,000 people, and leaving children and families without shelter, healthcare, school, clean water and food.
“I was in Maiduguri until Saturday when I saw the massive damages the flooding caused and interacted with some affected families.
“Conditions in the hastily opened Internally Displaced Persons (IDP), camps are overcrowded and insanitary and the scale of partners’ services is not keeping up with the numbers.
“According to the Borno State Government’s Emergency Operations Centre, over 300,000 people have been registered in at least 26 relocation sites, as of Sept.14.”
Harvey said there was an urgent need for an intervention to prevent the spread of the outbreak of cholera at the IDP camps in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, due to the flood.
The country director said the first cholera case have already been reported, describing it as a major health risk that needs urgent intervention.
He said: “I was in Maiduguri until Saturday when I saw the massive damages the flooding caused and interacted with some affected families.
“It was an opportunity for me and my organisation to evaluate the situation and work with my colleagues in Maiduguri to provide immediate assistance to some affected populations.
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“The flooding is happening at the height of a food and nutrition crisis– the lean season.
“In addition to the immediate need for food and clean water for the IDPs, water-borne diseases and malaria are major risks.
“Open defecation in the camps is widespread. The first cholera cases have been reported and this is a major health risk that needs an urgent intervention.”
The country director said SCI is already on ground in Maiduguri to provide urgent rescue service, lifesaving response and rehabilitation of affected communities.
He added that the organisation has set up health and nutrition outreach services to the affected households; and undertaking rehabilitation of sanitation facilities as well as conducting hygiene promotion and community awareness raising.
He said: “Save the Children’s urgent response plan to the crisis includes but not limited to multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA) to the affected households; setting up health and nutrition outreach services to the affected households.
“Rehabilitation of sanitation facilities and conducting hygiene promotion and community awareness raising; child protection in emergencies through setting up mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) help desk to provide psychological first-aid and psychosocial support to children and caregivers in the camps; the rollout of safe family sessions and establishing minimum protection monitoring activities, among others.”