Abstract
Among the direct humanitarian impacts of the Boko Haram conflict in West Africa are the displacement of approximately 3.6 million people and the deaths of about 20,000. The violence is a global health threat due to its impacts on health systems in West Africa. Boko Haram, banned Western education for women and girls in the territory it captured. In 2014, it kidnapped nearly 300 girls from a school in Chibok, Borno, and burned down the school. The goal of this project was to assess the public health and humanitarian challenges from the displacement of large populations in the region by Boko Haram. Qualitative methods were used to assess the public health and humanitarian challenges encountered by internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in temporary camps in northeastern Nigeria. We found that the movement of large populations and their resettlement in temporary shelters present severe public health and humanitarian challenges which include overcrowding, poverty, and environmental degradation from inadequate water supply and poor sanitation and waste management. The disruption of farming, fishing, trade, and other channels of food production and management have caused food insecurity and malnutrition, leading to stunting, underweight, and wasting (low weight-for-height) in children. The conflict also hinders efforts to administer vaccines in the region, resulting in the resurgence of polio and measles. The data collected were then used to develop a framework for humanitarian assets mapping to support efforts to address the key health and humanitarian challenges experienced by IDPs in this region.
Presenters
Isidore UdohAssociate Professor, Health Sciences and Physical Education, Northeastern Illinois University, Illinois, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Vectors of Society and Culture
KEYWORDS
Internally Displaced Persons, Humanitarian Crisis, Public Health Needs, Boko Haram
