Over
the years, the growing number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria
is becoming alarming. These are
people or groups of people who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave
their homes or places of habitual residence; in particular as a result of armed
conflict; or to avoid the effects of armed conflict; situations of generalized
violence; violations of human rights; or natural or human-made disasters and
who have not crossed an international border. Nigeria has 3.3 million persons
displaced by conflict which is about the highest number in Africa. This information is contained in a
report titled ‘Global Overview 2014: people internally displaced by
conflict and violence’
released by the Internal Displaced Monitoring Centre (IDMC) and the Norwegian
Refugee Council (NRC). On a global scale, Nigeria is only ranked behind
Syria with 6.5 million IDPs and Colombia with 5.7 million IDPs. The report
explains the unprecedented rise in IDPs in Nigeria by the increased number of
terrorist attacks, heavy-handed counter insurgency operations, and sporadic
inter-communal violence. By May 2013, they focused their attacks on towns and
villages close to Nigeria’s borders with Cameroon, Niger and Chad.
With increasing deadly attacks on border communities and the
destruction of properties, businesses and farmlands forced many inhabitants to Niger. Communal clashes is another factor
contributing to the high number of displaced persons in Nigeria. Clashes
between farmers and herdsmen over grazing lands in states such as Benue, Taraba, Zamfara
and parts of Kaduna and even
some states in the southwest has left many persons dead and injured. In addition, many of the victims of
the 2012 flooding caused by heavy rainfall across Nigeria are yet to be
provided a permanent place of residence. According to National Emergency
Management Agency (NEMA), the natural disaster in that year alone displaced
over two million people. The increase in the first half of 2015 of
the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria was due to the ongoing
violence in the northeast as well as the return of refugees who had not been
able to settle back in their places of origin and are therefore considered as
IDPs. The biggest rise in the number of IDPs was registered in Borno state, one
of the three north-eastern states most affected by Boko Haram violence,
followed by Adamawa and Yobe.
At the IDP camps, malnutrition in both adults and children is at an
alarming rate as the worst affected are children. A particular
report states the children in the camps showed an 18 percent threshold of
malnutrition which is above the globally recognized emergency threshold of
15. Other health problems are malaria,
typhoid, cholera, malaria and high blood pressure. Polio and measles are still
endemic as major public health concerns for children. However, the most neglected
of all health issues is the psychological impact this trauma has had on the
individuals. Undiagnosed and undocumented depression and post-traumatic stress
disorder are very obvious in a number of IDPs from certain reports.
Drawing
from reports from Sudan; the prevalence of depression
and suicide is a considerable mental health burden and challenge for
humanitarian agencies. The depression rate is comparable with other groups affected
by complex emergencies. The rates of suicide attempts among women and household
suicide prevalence were alarmingly high in comparison with general rates worldwide
given elevated post-traumatic stress disorder rates and disability in displaced
populations. The combined impact of gender disparities and sustained stressors such as
poor housing, poor feeding, sexual violence, displacement and livelihood
disruption may contribute significantly to the mental health burden in this IDP
population. Provisions for mental health services even before displacement have
always been poor and worse still in emergency settings. It is however
noteworthy that 98% of folks meeting criteria for major depressive disorder who
are mostly women felt that some form of
counseling even in camps before resettling was helpful. World Health
Organization recommends the integration of mental health services and
local staff training into community-based format for ongoing
assessments of mental health needs and the monitoring of displaced
persons to determine appropriate support. IDPs are among the most vulnerable set of
people who the government needs to cater for while ensuring that they are
secure and of sound health. Cases of sexual abuse are common with implications
for physical and mental health in this cohort.
While the government confronts this challenge,
philanthropic Nigerians and NGOs need to articulate help that is not just
focused on feeding, housing and physical health interventions alone but a
strong incorporation of mental health intervention crucial for the overall
quality of life of displaced persons invariably. WHO recommends that a robust
mental health program should be uploaded right from the emergencies in the IDP
camps to follow through to resettlement.
.
Dr. Adeoye Oyewole
adeoyewole2000@yahoo.com
+234 803 490 5808 (Whatsapp Only)
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