Group calls for better conditions for women in IDPs camps
The Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme (NSRP), an NGO, has decried what it called “poor living conditions’’ of women and children in Internally Displaced (IDPs) Camps in the FCT.
NSRP’s Women and Girls Manager, Dr Eleanor Nwadinobi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday that majority of them lack access to potable water supply and toilet.
Nwadinobi urged all stakeholders to step up actions at improving the lives of those category of people she described “vulnerable groups.’’
She stressed the need to properly address their needs to avoid continuous humanitarian crises and called on the Federal Government to partner stakeholders in meeting needs of women and girls in IDPs camp.
She said the group had partner Gender Equality, Peace and Development Centre in July carrying out assessment of living in IDP camps in the FCT and in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.
She observed that violent extremism in those states had resulted in majority of the people being displaced and living in deplorable conditions.
Nwadinobi said more needed to be done to enable women and children displaced live better lives.
“In the IDP camps, they face deplorable conditions such as inadequate provisions of basic needs and risk of communicable diseases such as malaria, typhoid and cholera.
“Some of them suffer from psycho-social trauma, but unfortunately, the IDPs are helpless, fearful, and lack the voice and the skill to ensure their needs are met,’’ she said.
She said the team had visited Chibok, Bama, Konduga and Gwoza communities and realised that post-insurgency reconstruction needs were lacking.
She called for improvement for access to water and toilets for the women and girls.
“The toilet facilities are very poor and inadequate, for this reason, many IDPs use the surrounding bushes as toilets.
“There is the need for the number of toilets to be increased, women and men need separate toilets so that there is privacy and wellbeing of all IDPs in the camps,’’ she said.
NSRP is aimed at reducing violent conflict by providing support for better management of conflict and reduction of poverty in the country.
It is funded by UK Department for International Development and implemented by the British Council.
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