The federal government has declared a nutritional state emergency in Borno State following the increase in the number of the Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps in the state in which people are struggling to feed properly, Nigerian Watch reports.
Due to the Boko Haram crisis, Nigeria has the highest number of IDPs in the world, with about 2.6m people living in make shift camps.
However, of late, it has been difficult getting food to the camps and with malnutrition breaking out, the government has mobilised a rapid response team to coordinate efforts to ameliorate the situation.
As part of the process, the federal government has conducted an on-the spot assessment at the IDP camp in Bama.
A team of officials team led by the special adviser to the president on social investments, Mrs Maryam Uwais visited the camp to meet with the refugees and assess their situation.
Ms Uwais said: “We are here to see for ourselves the situation on the ground here.
The development is a crisis situation but the federal government would work with the state government, the international community, local partners and civil society groups to ensure that all the needs of the IDPs are met."
Dr Mariam Masha, the senior special assistant to the president on IDPs, assured the refugees that alongside the humanitarian work, the federal and state governments were also focusing on the longer-term programme to ensure that reconstruction and resettlement was effectively hastened to enable them return to their homes.
She added that as the military continues its task of liberating hitherto isolated communities from the grip of Boko Haram, the scale of the humanitarian crisis was certain to increase and therefore called for increased support from all partners and stakeholders.
According to Col Adam Laka, the brigade commander of the 21 Armoured Brigade in Bama, the challenges faced by the Bama camp, which is home to 25,000 people include shortages of medical personnel, shelter,water and sanitation facilities.
He was in the government delegation that visited along with National Emergency Management Agency and State Emergency Management Agency officials and representatives from the United Nations.
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