Epidemic looms as over 28,000 IDPS defecate openly in Borno camp
Epidemic looms as over 28,000 IDPS defecate openly in Borno camp
Vanguard, 16 Jun 2016
URL: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/06/epidemic-looms-28000-idps-defecate-openly-borno-camp/
By Ndahi Marama MAIDUGURI—THERE are fears of possible outbreak of epidemic as over 28,000 families of 2,211 household of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, from surrounding villages of Bama and Banki border town with Cameroon Republic defecate openly due to lack of toilet facilities at the General Hospital Bama. The hospital is the only public facility in the area as most public and private structures have been completely destroyed by insurgents.
This came as sixty-one malnourished infants have been hospitalized on the orders of Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima. This followed his relocation of 478 children and 219 adults, all malnourished due to two years of captivity in the hands of Boko Haram insurgents before they were rescued by the Nigerian military. The victims were moved from Bama to a special care unit in Maiduguri on Monday. The 61 infants are now hospitalized at Umaru Shehu Specialist Hospital, owned by the State government in Maiduguri, and are undergoing medical treatment. They are part of the 478 children moved from Bama alongside 219 adults who were also malnourished. The adults consist of 196 women, some of who gave birth to some of the 478 children. The rest of the adults are 23 men, looking thin. The victims are among those rescued by the military in continued operations against Boko Haram insurgents, who in the last six years have been attacking communities and killing and abducting residents. Meanwhile, IDPs in the General Hospital Bama, comprising women, children and male adults, were suffering from acute malnutrition with some reported deaths until Governor Kashim Shettima visit and supplied them with relief materials donated by Dangote Foundation. Briefing Governor Shettima on the plight of the IDPs, the Brigade Commander 21 Armoured Brigade, Col. Adamu Garba Laka said the IDPs were recently brought into Bama following liberation of neighbouring villages by troops, stressing that due to prevailing security situation, the IDPs had to be camped at Bama General Hospital, the only public structure not completely destroyed by insurgents. Col. Laka told the governor that, troops in Bama with support from Civilian JTF had been doing their best in taking care of the IDPs, lamenting that the increase in the number of IDPs and rescued hostages had overstretched the facilities in camp. According to him, the most challenging issues for the IDPs were lack of food and toilet facilities to defecate, “which is very dangerous to their health, as they may be an outbreak of epidemic as the rainy season sets in.”
This came as sixty-one malnourished infants have been hospitalized on the orders of Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima. This followed his relocation of 478 children and 219 adults, all malnourished due to two years of captivity in the hands of Boko Haram insurgents before they were rescued by the Nigerian military. The victims were moved from Bama to a special care unit in Maiduguri on Monday. The 61 infants are now hospitalized at Umaru Shehu Specialist Hospital, owned by the State government in Maiduguri, and are undergoing medical treatment. They are part of the 478 children moved from Bama alongside 219 adults who were also malnourished. The adults consist of 196 women, some of who gave birth to some of the 478 children. The rest of the adults are 23 men, looking thin. The victims are among those rescued by the military in continued operations against Boko Haram insurgents, who in the last six years have been attacking communities and killing and abducting residents. Meanwhile, IDPs in the General Hospital Bama, comprising women, children and male adults, were suffering from acute malnutrition with some reported deaths until Governor Kashim Shettima visit and supplied them with relief materials donated by Dangote Foundation. Briefing Governor Shettima on the plight of the IDPs, the Brigade Commander 21 Armoured Brigade, Col. Adamu Garba Laka said the IDPs were recently brought into Bama following liberation of neighbouring villages by troops, stressing that due to prevailing security situation, the IDPs had to be camped at Bama General Hospital, the only public structure not completely destroyed by insurgents. Col. Laka told the governor that, troops in Bama with support from Civilian JTF had been doing their best in taking care of the IDPs, lamenting that the increase in the number of IDPs and rescued hostages had overstretched the facilities in camp. According to him, the most challenging issues for the IDPs were lack of food and toilet facilities to defecate, “which is very dangerous to their health, as they may be an outbreak of epidemic as the rainy season sets in.”