The War Among Us

One of the harsh outcomes of the Boko Haram insurgency in the Nigeria’s northeast is the overburdening of internally displaced persons’ camps in the region and beyond. As a result of the continued onslaught on communities, survivors of Boko Haram rampage often seek refuge in camps, abandoning their ancestral homes, means of livelihoods and properties in the quest for survival. According to UNHCR, about 2 million people have been displaced since the decade-long carnage.

Over ten years of insurgency, northeast Nigeria has been dotted with aid agencies (local and international) augmenting government’s inadequate relief materials given to internally displaced persons for their continued survival pending the end of insurgency in the zone. While these aids appear to cushion the effects of the war on people, there are still deep-seated humanitarian crises in most IDP camps. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs noted that it will require about $1.6 billion to ease hunger, provide shelter and healthcare, and help communities rebuild their livelihoods.

Some IDP camps have been reported to be synonymous with severe lack of food items, basic shelter, health and protection. In some camps in Borno state -the worst-hit- it has been more than 4 months since the displaced persons last received relief materials either from state or non-state actors. Visitors to the camps are almost mobbed in a bid to secure some sort of relief items. The condition of some camps is unliveable, yet it is the lived experience of Nigerians struggling to survive the situation that has befallen them.

It is interesting to note that the insurgency seems to have blurred the lines that discourage women from taking up responsibilities to cater for their families.  While some women in the camps move out in search of firewood which they in turn sell to make money, others in the camps channel their energies into knitting, tailoring, leather works etc.

IDP camps are temporary respite, however, for what it is worth, there are more efficient ways government and relevant bodies can improve survival prospects of internally displaced persons. Relief materials should be regularised and enough to cater for the displaced population. The distribution process should be fair to ensure that no one is excluded or favoured.

UNHCR and other relevant government agencies should monitor the living conditions and concerns of IDPs. Enhanced monitoring of the IDP situation should result in improved advocacy for IDPs in development processes. People with marketable skills in camps should be empowered to create value they can monetise to fend for themselves and families. There is an untapped labour force in camps that should be empowered to create wealth that will augment insufficient relief items from government and non-state actors. The war is much more than violence, the war is the hunger, starvation, abject need that comes with it.