ASSESSMENT OF HEALTH NEED FOR INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS

ASSESSMENT OF HEALTH NEED FOR INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS

CHAPITRE ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 THE STUDY’S BACKGROUND

The most generally used definition of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) comes from the United Nations (UN) guiding principles on internal displacement. The guiding principles define IDPs as “individuals or groups of individuals who have been forced or obligated to flee or leave their homes or places of habitual residence, owing to generalized violence, violations of human rights, or natural or man-made disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally recognized state border.” Although they do not meet the current legal definition of refugees, they are frequently referred to as “refugees” (International Committee of the Red Cross, 2010).

Internal displacement, which affects around 25 million people globally, is becoming acknowledged as one of the most terrible tragedies of the modern world. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people are displaced due to war (UNHCR, 2013). Forced to escape their homes in search of safety, some find sanctuary with family and friends, but others are jammed into camps, where they grow more violent, suffer from mental stress, and contract disease (Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, 2013).

In a recent briefing, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) describes the rippling effect of Boko Haram’s brutality, identifying three growing patterns of relocation. The first is of internally displaced people (IDPs) fleeing to the south of the country in the footsteps of economic migrants, the second is of people fleeing from rural to urban areas within their states, and the third is of secondary displacement of both IDPs and host communities who move once their resources are depleted (NRC, 2014).

The population of the north eastern Nigerian states has been impacted by the insurgency between Boko Haram and government forces since 2011. On May 14, 2013, the government announced a state of emergency (SOE) in three north eastern states: Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa (UNICEF, 2015). From mid-2014, insurgent attacks by Islamic Boko Haram militants increased dramatically Rushing, and Joe, 2014).

Boko Haram’s escalating radicalization led to a violent insurrection in July 2009, during which its leader, Mohammed Yusuf, was ruthlessly executed. Following a mass prison break in September 2010, its expected resurgence was accompanied by increasingly sophisticated attacks. Since the current insurgency began in 2009, it has killed 20,000 people and displaced 2.3 million (Tiffen, 2009). This had caused major psychosocial issues for IDPs.

The displaced face family breakdown and community tiering. They are jobless and have limited access to land, education, food, and shelter. Displacement disturbs not just the lives of the individuals and families involved, but also the lives of society as a whole. Both the places left behind by the displaced and the new colony suffer.

Apart from individuals who choose to live with relatives and friends outside the camps, camps are set up to satisfy the immediate requirements of those who have been displaced. However, camp settings are associated with difficulties, particularly when displaced people stay in the camp for longer than expected.

When aid/assistance from the government and other donor agencies became insufficient, other needs of the displaced began to emerge.

Due to insufficient aid/assistance and overstaying displaced in the camp, upgrading temporary settlement and boosting access to essential amenities and livelihood possibilities (community development) is required.

Community development in an emergency situation is thus the provision and accessibility of necessities of life while in the camp, such as health services, education, skill acquisition programs, and skill improvement to meet societal demands, all geared toward improving the living conditions within the camp.

The camp that is currently serving as the displaced community must be built to meet the developmental needs of the displaced.

Education provides physical, emotional, and cognitive protection that can both save and preserve a person’s life. It provides a safe learning environment as well as the ability to recognize and support impacted individuals, particularly children and adolescents. Education helps to reduce the emotional impact of conflict and tragedy by providing a feeling of normalcy and stability (Ferris and Winthrop 2010). According to Zerrougui, education in an emergency circumstance saves lives and is an important component of child protection methods. It gives youngsters life-saving information and builds on the accomplishments accomplished by patents and communities. In reality, education in an emergency circumstance brings hope and lessens the trauma that has already occurred.

Health is another aspect of community development in an emergency circumstance. The health of those who are displaced suffers greatly as a result of their displacement. Aside from the fear and trauma, the new settlement (camps) is frequently accompanied by environmental health issues that negatively impact the health of the displaced. Children and women are especially vulnerable to starvation, infections, and violence in most circumstances. Overcrowding, poor water and sanitation facilities, and diarrheal, acute respiratory infections, malaria, and meningitis are common among the displaced.

1.2 THE PROBLEM’S STATEMENT

One of the biggest issues influencing the provision of health services to internally displaced persons (IDP) in Maiduguri is a lack of competent health facilities.

The activities of the feared Boko Haram sect have disrupted Nigeria’s peace and tranquility, particularly in Borno. Victims of war, fight, collision, or conflict are not only those who die in battle; those who survive to tell the tale live with pains and memories that may never allow them to be the same again.

With the hardships and sorrows they have faced in recent decades, the displaced persons in the camps have witnessed a lighter tint of death. Some of them are disoriented and have no idea where their loved ones are. Living in an IDP camp is reason enough for them to be unhappy and upset, especially since they used to be major business owners and landowners. This study, on the other hand, seeks to identify the information and health needs of IDPs in Maiduguri, Borno State.

1.3 THE STUDY’S OBJECTIVES

The overall goal of this research is to look into the assessment of health needs for internally displaced people in Maiduguri. Among the specific goals are the following:

1. To investigate the situation of internally displaced people in Maiduguri.

2. Determine whether there is a health need among internally displaced people in Maiduguri.

3. Determine the availability of health care facilities for internally displaced people in Maiduguri.

4. Determine the government’s role in meeting the health needs of internally displaced people in Maiduguri.