No fewer than 150,000 children are in 26 Internally Displaced Persons, IDP, camps in Maiduguri, Borno State, with many disconnected from their families, following last week's devastating flood that ravaged the state, Save the Children, SCI, Nigeria, has said.
This came as the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Environment mobilized a specialized team to deal with the aftermath of the disaster to checkmate the spread of waterborne diseases caused by flooding and identify the sources of hazardous chemicals..
Also, The First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has donated N500 million to persons affected by the flood disaster.
The Country Director, SCI, Nigeria, Duncan Harvey, at a briefing in Abuja, after a visit to state alongside his team to assess the situation, said "Over 1 million people across Borno State have been affected by the flash floods, with 400,000 displaced, of those, 300,000 have found shelter in 26 displacement camps, which on Friday from Bakassi camp, one of the largest camps, the conditions there are particularly harsh for children; overcrowding, and lack of basic services and shelter.
"Our immediate concern is the short-term need for food, water, and shelter, especially for children and their families. Additionally, we are supporting children who have been separated from their families. One of the most distressing things I witnessed in Bekasi camp was around 20 children who had been separated from their families. Our child protection team is working hard to reunite them with their families, while providing appropriate care in the meantime.
"We are particularly concerned because this disaster occurred during the lean season, when malnutrition is already at its peak. Many children were already malnourished before the flood, and now face even more severe challenges living in these camps.
"The state government has shown impressive leadership in response efforts, and the coordination on the ground has been commendable. However, the conditions for children are dire, and there is an urgent need for more resources and stronger coordination to scale up life-saving interventions.
"We have about 200 staff working on the ground, collaborating with the Borno State government, the UN, and other international NGOs to respond as effectively as possible. Tomorrow, I'll be meeting with the humanitarian country team, and we'll be working to coordinate our resources to save as many lives as we can, with a particular focus on children.
"There are 300,000 people registered in 26 camps established temporarily by the Borno State Government, we know that half of the population of the State is children.
"So we can estimate that 150,000 of those people living in those camps are children, and that is a real cause for concern and then we continue to protect those children in terms of health and nutrition, make sure they have access to safe drinking water and appropriate care in place."
However, he said children will be placed on therapeutic feeding to boost their nutritional needs,
"In one of the camps, we are extending our therapeutic feeding programmes for underweight children, so we have an active screening programme, where we try to identify children who are malnourished, underweight, and we are working together with the Ministry of Health to identify those children and put them on therapeutic feeding programmes and also make sure they can recover as soon as possible. We are very concerned to scale up that programme."
FG deploys special team
Meanwhile, Federal Ministry of Environment has mobilized a specialized team to deal with the aftermath of the disaster to check the spread of waterborne diseases caused by flooding and identify the sources of hazardous chemicals.
The team includes experts from various departments and agencies, such as the Department of Pollution Control and Environmental Health, the Department of Erosion, Flood and Coastal Zone Management, and the Environmental Health Council.
Their immediate tasks involve continuous water sampling and testing, identifying sources of hazardous chemicals, and preventing waterborne diseases
At a briefing yesterday, the Minister of State for Environment, Dr. Iziak Salako, said: "It is imperative to sound some caution to the People, Authorities and Stakeholders to be wary of Diseases such as Diarrhea, Cholera that may occur in an epidemic proportion arising from the use of Water already contaminated for cooking and drinking.
"Yet another group are Silicosis, Asbestosis, Asthma and Cancer which may prevail as a result of People's exposure to Chemical Substances washed into Flood waters those impairing the Cardiopulmonary functions of the human system.
"Furthermore, the Diseases and health conditions set out in the preceding paragraphs are premeditated by factors inherent with flood situations - contamination of water by Micro-organisms ranging from Bacteria and Viruses thus causing water-borne infections; Insect-borne Parasites like Plasmodium carried by House Flies that cause vector-borne infections which negatively affects the human health
"Similarly, physical, chemical and psychological hazards abound post-flooding episodes. Top soils are washed into water bodies such as rivers, streams and ponds thereby aggravating the overflow of the banks, open wells also receive their fair share. In the same manner, solid wastes and debris are also introduced into such water bodies thereby introducing chemical substances. Fertilizers, herbicides and other agro allied products from flooded farmlands constitute chemical hazards which are introduced into water bodies as well."
Tinubu's wife donates N500m
Also, the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has donated N500 million to persons affected by the flood disaster in Maiduguri, Borno.
Tinubu announced the donation during a sympathy visit to Governor Babagana Zulum on Wednesday in Maiduguri.
Represented by Nana Kashim Shettima, Wife of the Vice President, Tinubu presented N500 million to the governor and prayed for the affected persons.
Tinubu, who is also the Chairman of the RHI, was accompanied in the visit by the wives of some state governors, ministers and female members of the National Assembly.
Responding, Zulum lauded the gesture, adding that the RHI programme empowered many women and the vulnerable in the state.
Obasanjo tasks Zulum
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Meantime, former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has urged Governor Babagana Zulum to use the flood disaster to show his leadership and courageous qualities to overcome the unfortunate event.
In a message of sympathy to the governor by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi in Abeokuta, yesterday, Obasanjo, among others, said "Although seasonal flooding is not uncommon in many parts of Nigeria, all available accounts indicate that what Borno State has just suffered was one of the most devastating incidents in recent times.
"This is evidenced by the magnitude of the loss of human lives, harvested food-crops, farmlands, livestock, buildings and personal effects involved. It is usually in the midst of disasters of this nature that the qualities of good leadership and courage become manifest. Permit me, therefore, to commend you and the Government of Borno State for the swiftness and efficacy with which you rose to the challenge, giving every possible support in your continued efforts to provide succour to those who have been dislocated."
Lawan donates N50m
Also, former Senate President Senator Ahmad Lawan, has donated N50 million to the victims of flooding disaster.
In a statement yesterday by his Media Adviser, Ezrel Tabiowo, the former President of the Senate further commended the Federal Government for its swift response and support; and urged development partners, as well as humanitarian organizations to provide assistance to Borno State to mitigate the impact of the flood.
Lawan was accompanied by the Deputy Speaker of the Yobe State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Y'au Usman Dachia; Rt. Hon. Adamu Dala Dogo and Hon Sanda Karabade of Yobe State House of Assembly.
