Save the Children International (SCI) Nigeria has reported that over 150,000 children have been displaced by severe flooding in Borno State, prompting an urgent call for humanitarian assistance.
Duncan Harvey, the Country Director of SCI, revealed this alarming figure during a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, following his visit to Maiduguri to assess the situation and provide aid to the affected communities.
According to Harvey, “So we can estimate that around 150,000 of the people living in those camps are children, and therefore that’s a very real cause of concern. We need to protect those children, provide them with health and nutrition, make sure they have access to clean water, and also ensure that they have appropriate care in place.”
As of September 14, over 300,000 people had been registered in at least 26 relocation sites, with up to 30 sites expected to be established. Harvey highlighted that the flooding has affected more than 400,000 people in total, resulting in 37 deaths and 58 injuries.
The Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps are overcrowded and unsanitary, and existing services from partners are not sufficient to meet the rising needs.
The SCI country director further warned of the heightened risks of water-borne diseases and malaria, exacerbated by widespread open defecation in the camps.
“The flooding happened at the height of a food and nutrition crisis,” Harvey lamented, noting that the immediate provision of food and clean water is critical.
Harvey called on both the Borno State and federal governments to support humanitarian actors by creating enabling approaches and systems to expedite response programs for children, families, and communities in urgent need.
SCI has launched an emergency response plan that includes Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) to affected households, setting up health and nutrition outreach services, rehabilitating sanitation facilities, promoting hygiene awareness, and providing mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services.
These efforts aim to address the physical and emotional needs of children and caregivers in the camps.
“SCI’s urgent response plan to the crisis includes but is not limited to MPCA, health and nutrition outreach, sanitation rehabilitation, and child protection through mental health support for children and caregivers,” Harvey said.
SCI is collaborating with the Borno State government and other humanitarian actors to address the escalating crisis.
