Internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Guma local government area of Benue state and their information needs

Executive Summary Herdsmen-farmers conflict has displaced 1.5 million residents of Benue State, Nigeria, according to government officials. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) have lost livelihoods, farms, personal property and community infrastructure. The paper highlights the social challenges they have experienced and the response by government and international humanitarian agencies (IHAs) to their situations. Based on interviews with 12 IDPs belonging to the displaced population from Guma Local Government Area of Benue State and interviews with seven humanitarian workers, the paper finds that the IDPs: • Have lost family members, neighbors, farms, churches, health centers, and means of mobility. • Cannot safely return home or access their ancestral lands. • Cannot support themselves. • Cannot attend public school or progress to a university. • Lack access to quality health care. • Live with multiple families in insecure shelters. • Cannot reliably obtain birth registration and replace other destroyed documents. • Can register their names, family relations, and former villages, but not their losses, which might lead to compensation and help them to rebuild their lives. The paper makes the following recommendations. • Registration, Effective Remedies and Access to Justice: The Benue State Emergency Management Agency (BSEMA), Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs (FMHA) and United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) should document personal and community socio-economic losses to ascertain the extent of damage to IDPs in order to facilitate effective remedies. The Ministries of Justice, the National Human Rights Commission, and UNHCR should support the IDPs by providing them with information and procedures that allow them to secure full compensation for their losses, and with safe, permanent solutions to their situations, including full integration into their host communities, safe and voluntary return home, or resettlement in a third community. • Engage IDPs as Stakeholders: The Benue State Government should ensure that BSEMA communicates to IDPs the possibilities for voluntary and dignified safe return. If return is not immediately foreseeable, BSEMA should offer IDPs the means to relocate and resettle elsewhere. • Provision of Sustainable Social Amenities: BSEMA, the FMHA, and international humanitarian agencies (IHAs) should provide sustainable healthcare, shelter, education in IDP camps, financial assistance and the means to access services outside of IDP camps. • Peace through Establishment of Ranches: Benue State Government’s Peace Commission should resolve the herdsmen-farmer conflict and restore peace by promoting peaceful co-existence between the conflicting parties. Herdsmen should be educated on the procedures for legal land acquisition for ranching, and farmers should be able to seek legal redress when their farms are damaged by grazing cattle. BSEMA and the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs should also facilitate voluntary, safe and dignified return of IDPs or their resettlement in another community. • Safeguard IDP Camps: BSEMA and the Nigeria security agencies should safeguard official and unofficial IDP camps. • Inclusive Policy Implementation: The FMHA in collaboration with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) should develop humanitarian response plans that are beneficial to all IDPs in Nigeria irrespective of the cause of their displacement.

Internally displaced persons (IDPs) are men, women, and children who are uprooted from their ancestral homes as victims of natural disaster or manmade occurrences for reasons often beyond their control and comprehension. The Boko-Haram insurgency in the North-East of Nigeria has caused over two million Nigerians to be internally displaced. The crisis has created management problems for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) due to paucity of funds. Secondary data and human needs theory were used for the analysis. The incessant use of improvised electronic devices has created a security lacuna in the IDPs camps, which have become targets for terrorists. The concomitant is confidence deficit between the IDPs and NEMA resulting in accusations of neglect and corruption. The chapter concludes that the failure to manage IDPs is tantamount to human rights abuse and security lapse.

Aim: To bring to light a prototype archaeology site at Gbaagbum village in Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. Data for the study was gotten through primary and secondary sources. These includes oral interviews, observation and documentation from field work, and written / archival records respectively. Study Design: The study items were from Gbaagbum village and the research evaluation of the items found at the site revealed that the site was home to unknown occupants before the present settlers. Place and Duration of Study: Gbaagbum village in Gwer West Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State, Nigeria. Methodology: There was physical observation of the culture materials found at the site and through oral interview sessions conducted further revelations were made. Results: Findings revealed that it was once an abandoned site for an unknown migrant community who occupied the area, but relocated before the present occupants. Furthermore, the study revealed a tunnel with complete and pieces of pots and a human jaw in the first chamber. There was a big open pot which serve as a lid to the second chamber. The paper suggests that a more comprehensive and professional archaeological / historical study be conducted at the site and within the Ityôshin area to unearth a history of the originators of the cultural materials that were accidentally discovered. The use of modern archaeological equipment, methods and principles can be greatly relied upon in this regard. To conclude a lot still needs to be done in archaeology especially in the remote areas like the Gbaagbum Village of Benue State, Nigeria.

Internally displaced persons (IDPs) are men, women, and children who are uprooted from their ancestral homes as victims of natural disaster or manmade occurrences for reasons often beyond their control and comprehension. The Boko-Haram insurgency in the North-East of Nigeria has caused over two million Nigerians to be internally displaced. The crisis has created management problems for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) due to paucity of funds. Secondary data and human needs theory were used for the analysis. The incessant use of improvised electronic devices has created a security lacuna in the IDPs camps, which have become targets for terrorists. The concomitant is confidence deficit between the IDPs and NEMA resulting in accusations of neglect and corruption. The chapter concludes that the failure to manage IDPs is tantamount to human rights abuse and security lapse.

This study assessed the Needs of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Borno State, Nigeria. The study was guided by four objectives: to determine health care needs, educational needs, income generation needs and nutritional needs of the IDPs in the camps. Survey design was used for this study. The target population of the study comprised of 38,833 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from three different IDPs camps in Maiduguri metropolis namely: Bakasi, NYSC and Dalori One IDPs camps were used in the study as at 3rd – 20th June 2017. The sample size of the population was four hundred (400) internally displaced persons. The sample was selected through random sampling technique. Sixteen (16) item questionnaires were used for data collection. The questionnaires were given to the researcher’s and experts in the field of adult education for validation. The instrument was pre-tested on 30 internationally displaced persons (IDPs) who were not part of the population; they have similar characteristics with the target population. The scores obtained were correlated using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and the instrument was validated and was reliable. Data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequency counts, percentage and standard deviation. The findings of the study showed that the IDPs need health care delivery services in the area of provision of drugs, portable water, treated mosquito nets and qualified doctors and nurses. On the educational need of the IDPs, findings showed that the IDPs need schools for their children; awareness on sex education, adequate and qualified educational instructors in the IDPs camps. Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations were proffered: Government, Non-Governmental Agencies, philanthropists and health related interventions to deal with the situation at both national and international level should look into the health care needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Borno State. The study also recommends the provision of trained instructors; learning centres for both formal and informal education; erect schools equipped with basic education facilities that will enhance the educational need of the IDPs in the IDP camps.

Given the high level of humanitarian crises in Nigeria, African’s largest and most populous country, particularly over the past ten years, the concept of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Camps has gained some currency in several parts of the country. In the main, IDPs Camps, which have become a necessity in Nigeria, are characterised by increasing social injustices like rape, diversion of food items and other corruption-related cases which are deemed as inexcusable. As a consequence, IDPs in Nigeria suffer disproportionately from different problems such as malnutrition, sickness, insecurity in the camps, lack of access to education and healthcare, among others. Many have suffered severe mental distress caused by traumatic experiences of having witnessed or been subjected to gross violations of human rights such as killings, torture, sexual violence, family separation and displacement from home. For all these categories of victims, the idea of seeking refuge, protection and succour in IDPs Camps may not be a bad one. However, the management of these camps in Nigeria has become a source of great concern due to heart-rending stories of sorrow and shame in Nigeria’s IDPs Camps. This paper examines some dark spots in the management of IDPs Camps in Nigeria and concludes that the vulnerability of displaced persons is a major reason why sustainable strategies for rehabilitation must be considered and implemented at the shortest possible time. Key words: Humanitarian Crisis, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Camps, Vulnerability, Insecurity and Corruption.

This study examined the socio-economic implication of displacement on children in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State. It specifically identified the concerns of children in the IDP camps in Guma LGA of Benue state; ascertained the various agencies addressing these concerns and, investigated and prioritized the identified concerns of these children to proffer the needs assessment to address these. This is undertaken given that in the aftermath of farmers' and herders' conflicts, children bore the brunt of the disruptive effects of the upheavals that undermined their survival rights. The study adopted a survey method that sourced primary data through the use of a structured questionnaire and employed descriptive statistics for analysis. The findings indicate that there are unaccompanied children in the camp who are not catered for. There is inadequate medical care for the children, raising concerns about malnutrition, infectious diseases, safe delivery, and infant mortality. School drop-out is also a concern as it leads to the risk of child labour, poor skills development, and vices. The study recommended that a proper record of all internally displaced persons across all indices of demographic and socioeconomic data should be taken for adequate planning and logistics. There should be effective psychological treatment for the children to help their psycho-social integration with the larger society. Access to medical care should be improved for the children and education services should be all-encompassing for the children to eradicate the school drop-out rate.

Internal displacement appears to have become a recurrent decimal in the socio-political narrative of Nigeria. While statistics reveal an increase in the number of both Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Returnees, especially in the Northeastern zone, the major thrust of this study are centered around the questions; what are the recent dynamics of internal displacement in Nigeria? What economic dimension(s) exist for internal displacement, especially in relation to the IPD camps?The study adopted a descriptive research method in investigating the phenomenon of internal displacement in Nigeria, drawing data primarily from secondary sources of data, and subjecting them to rigorous content analysis. The study found that IDPs continue to not only suffer exploitation and abuse from other male IDPs, camp officials and security officers, while services available in IDP camps can serve as push for internal displacement in Nigeria. It concluded that IDPs remain largely insecure and ‘displaced’ in the IDP camps which have also become a significant variable in the management of internal displacement. It was recommended that NGOs and other aid organizations should be allowed to get more involved in the IDP camps, particularly in the area of camp management and even security, as Nigerian government continues to recapture, rebuild and return IDPs to their communities. Keywords: Displaced, Internal Displacement, Security, Camps, Internally Displaced Persons DOI : 10.7176/JAAS/55-06 Publication date :May 31 st 2019

Introduction: Forced displacement leading to internal displacement, especially in developing countries, is a growing global public health problem. The additional presence of substance use and abuse among forcefully displaced young people worsens the challenge by posing long-term health, social and legal consequences for both substance users and the general public. A better understanding of the pattern and drivers of substance use will be useful for the prevention and control of the menace among this vulnerable population. This study, therefore, aims to assess and compare the prevalence and willingness to stop substance use among youths in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps and their host communities in Borno State, Nigeria. Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among youths (15-29 years old) in IDP camps and the host communities in Maiduguri, North-East Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to recruit respondents from their households into the two study groups. Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST), and Stages of Changes Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale (SOCRATES) instruments, were pretested and used to assess the prevalence, types and pattern of substance use, as well as willingness to stop substance abuse, via interviewer-administration Results: Three hundred (300) respondents were surveyed, comprising one hundred and fifty (150) each, from IDP camp and their host communities. Male-to-female ratios were 1:0.85 for the host and 1:0.67 for IDP study groups. The mean age was 21.9 ± 4.58 years (15-29 years), with significantly younger respondents in IDP compared with host communities. Overall 138 respondents were involved in substance abuse, yielding a prevalence rate of 46.0%. The prevalence of substance use among host and IDP study groups was 59.3% and 32.7%, respectively (p<0.05). Among substance users, the mean age at onset of substance use was 17.9 ± 3.6 years, with significantly earlier onset among IDP compared with host groups (p<0.05). Also, the mean duration of substance use was 5.39 ± 3.3 years, but with a significantly longer duration of use among IDP compared with host groups (p<0.05). Tobacco was the most commonly abused substance with high (15.2%) and moderate (33.3%) degrees of dependence, and a significantly higher proportion among IDP compared with host groups (p<0.05). In both groups, the commonest social means of taking substances was with friends, who were also the most common introducers of substances to respondents in both study groups. Most subjects had low levels of recognition (94.9%), ambivalence (62.0%) and taking steps (72.3%). Compared with respondents in the host group, those in the IDP group had a significantly higher proportion of high degree for taking steps (20.4% vs. 4.5%, p<0.05). Multinomial regression analysis identified age and male gender as the significant predictors of substance use (p<0.00). For every unit increase in age by one year, there was a 15% increased likelihood of substance use. More so, compared with females, males had a 12.28 times increased likelihood of substance use (p<0.05). Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of substance abuse among youths forcefully displaced due to Boko Haram insurgency in Northern Nigeria. Youths should be gainfully employed and/or engaged in diverse forms of capacity-building activities. Rehabilitation services should be made available in host communities and IDP camps, to provide health education and counselling, towards prevention, treatment and control of substance use and its consequences.

Introduction: Forced displacement leading to internal displacement, especially in developing countries, is a growing global public health problem. The additional presence of substance use and abuse among forcefully displaced young people worsens the challenge by posing long-term health, social and legal consequences for both substance users and the general public. A better understanding of the pattern and drivers of substance use will be useful for the prevention and control of the menace among this vulnerable population. This study, therefore, aims to assess and compare the prevalence and willingness to stop substance use among youths in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps and their host communities in Borno State, Nigeria. Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among youths (15-29 years old) in IDP camps and the host communities in Maiduguri, North-East Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to recruit respondents from their households into the two study groups. Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST), and Stages of Changes Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale (SOCRATES) instruments, were pretested and used to assess the prevalence, types and pattern of substance use, as well as willingness to stop substance abuse, via interviewer-administration Results: Three hundred (300) respondents were surveyed, comprising one hundred and fifty (150) each, from IDP camp and their host communities. Male-to-female ratios were 1:0.85 for the host and 1:0.67 for IDP study groups. The mean age was 21.9 ± 4.58 years (15-29 years), with significantly younger respondents in IDP compared with host communities. Overall 138 respondents were involved in substance abuse, yielding a prevalence rate of 46.0%. The prevalence of substance use among host and IDP study groups was 59.3% and 32.7%, respectively (p<0.05). Among substance users, the mean age at onset of substance use was 17.9 ± 3.6 years, with significantly earlier onset among IDP compared with host groups (p<0.05). Also, the mean duration of substance use was 5.39 ± 3.3 years, but with a significantly longer duration of use among IDP compared with host groups (p<0.05). Tobacco was the most commonly abused substance with high (15.2%) and moderate (33.3%) degrees of dependence, and a significantly higher proportion among IDP compared with host groups (p<0.05). In both groups, the commonest social means of taking substances was with friends, who were also the most common introducers of substances to respondents in both study groups. Most subjects had low levels of recognition (94.9%), ambivalence (62.0%) and taking steps (72.3%). Compared with respondents in the host group, those in the IDP group had a significantly higher proportion of high degree for taking steps (20.4% vs. 4.5%, p<0.05). Multinomial regression analysis identified age and male gender as the significant predictors of substance use (p<0.00). For every unit increase in age by one year, there was a 15% increased likelihood of substance use. More so, compared with females, males had a 12.28 times increased likelihood of substance use (p<0.05). Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of substance abuse among youths forcefully displaced due to Boko Haram insurgency in Northern Nigeria. Youths should be gainfully employed and/or engaged in diverse forms of capacity-building activities. Rehabilitation services should be made available in host communities and IDP camps, to provide health education and counselling, towards prevention, treatment and control of substance use and its consequences.

Background: Gastrointestinal infections remain a significant global health challenge, particularly affecting vulnerable populations such as the elderly, young children, and other individuals in particular the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). As of in 2024 study had shown that. Globally, there are approximately 48 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have fled conflict and violence. Methods: The study investigated the effect of health education on the prevention and control of gastrointestinal infections among internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Gwoza Local Government Area, Borno State, Nigeria using quasi-experiment and 150 participants were selected by systematic sampling technique. Results: The results revealed a significant increase in the number of IDPs who recognized diarrhea as a life-threatening disease, with 73% of respondents agreeing after the health education intervention, compared to 61% before the intervention. Similarly, the number of IDPs who understood the preventability of diarrhea increased from 75% to 87% after the health education intervention. Furthermore, the study found that health education increased IDPs' knowledge about the strategies health educators can use to prevent and control gastrointestinal infections, with 87% of respondents agreeing that raising awareness and expanding knowledge about gastrointestinal infections is essential. Conclusions: The study concluded that health education is a vital component in reducing the incidence of gastrointestinal infections among IDPs and recommends that health education programs should be integrated into all programs to improve health outcomes in IDP camps.

A long and protracted civil war compounded by the occurrence of nature-related disasters have forced thousands of Somalis to take refuge in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) to escape violence and seek shelter. Dwellers of these camps have limited accessibility to and affordability of the fractured healthcare facilities located in nearby towns. A free, outreach, mobile, reproductive healthcare delivery system staffed with nurses and using an ambulance guided by a global information systems (GIS) map was established to address the accessibility and affordability issues hindering provision of quality reproductive healthcare to the women in the IDP camps and in the outskirts of Baidoa City, Somalia. All 14 IDP camps in Baidoa City were visited to determine the number of families/huts, and to acquire their global positioning system (GPS) central point locations. Global information systems (GIS) shape files containing major roads, river, and dwellings, and straight-line distances from the base clinic to each IDP camp were computed. The objective of creating and using this specially designed map was to help nurses in determining which camps realistically could be visited on a given day, and how best to access them considering the security situation and the condition of rain-affected areas in the city. Use of the GIS map was instrumental in facilitating the delivery of healthcare services to IDPs and ensuring that resources were adequately utilized. Free healthcare services were provided each work day for the month long duration of the project; 3,095 consultations were provided, inclusive of 948 consultations for children under the age of 16 years, and delivery of three babies. Creation and use of a simple, need-specific GIS map in this pilot project effectively aided the logistical planning and delivery of mobile, outreach reproductive health services by directing the ambulance and nurses safely to accessible IDP camps in an area marred with long and protracted disasters from both natural and human causes.

Crises in various part of Nigeria bring about high number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) especially in the northern part of the country due to the Boko Haram Insurgency. The IDPs rely on humanitarian assistance for survival since they lost their means of livelihood. For them to get such assistance, their conditions need to be known by the general public in other to come to their rescue. Part of the press responsibility in the society is to effectively inform the citizens about happenings in their localities and the country as a whole. A UNICEF report indicates that there are 2.5 million malnourished children in the various IDP camps in Nigeria and about three hundred of them will die unless they are aided while, Doctors without Borders say at least 30 of them die every day. This highlights one serious condition in the IDP camps especially in Borno state due to the Boko Haram Insurgency which displaced hundreds of thousands from their homes. This paper analyzed Daily Trust and the Nation newspapers reports on the situation of the IDPs in the various camps across the country in other to determine the kind of role they play in highlighting their condition and soliciting support for them as well as the kind of agenda they set. Findings indicate that the situation in the various IDP camps has been highlighted by the two newspapers. They as well proffer solutions to effectively tackle the challenges. However, there is need for the newspapers to give more prominence to issues surrounding the management of the IDP camps in order to make it more transparent to minimize or eradicate corrupt practices to ensure better life for the IDPs and prevent the death of mal-nourished children. Keywords: Analysis, News Reports, Daily Trust, The Nation, Boko Haram Insurgency and Internally Displaced persons (IDPs)

The ongoing conflicts and natural disasters in Ethiopia have led to a significant increase in the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), necessitating effective healthcare delivery in IDP camps. This study aims to assess the availability of essential medicines and inventory management practices and to identify common challenges within these camps in Eastern Amhara, Ethiopia. An explanatory sequential mixed method was employed, from August to October 2023, in 5 IDP camps in Eastern Amhara, Ethiopia. Structured and semi-structure questionnaires were utilized. Data were collected through face-to-face and telephone interview, document review, and observation. Quantitative data were entered into Epi Data version 4.6 and analyzed by SPSS window version 26, and descriptive statistics were computed and summarized results were presented by using text, tables and graphs, while thematic analysis using open code software was employed for qualitative data analysis. The average availability of essential medicines in IDP camps was 77.3%. Inventory control cards were available in nearly half of the OPDs clinics in IDP camps. However, the overall updating practice on transaction was 0%. None of the IDP camps met the criteria for acceptable storage conditions. Only 18.2% of OPD clinics are adhered to FEFO inventory control procedure. Common challenges affecting the availability of essential medicines and inventory management practices in IDP include poor inventory management practices, national stock outs, irrational drug use, fraud and theft, insecurity, inadequate infrastructure, uncertainty, reliance on push delivery systems, lack of inter-agency collaboration, and limited resources. The study found that while the average availability of essential medicines in IDP camps was fairly- high, stockouts were common, and none of the camps met the established criteria for acceptable storage conditions. Inventory management practices were weak, with poor adherence to protocols such as bin card updating, stock level reviews, and the FEFO system. The current study suggest that significant efforts are being made to supply IDP camps with essential medicines, despite the challenges posed by poor inventory management, national-level stock shortages, irrational drug use, fraud and theft, insecurity, inadequate infrastructure, uncertainty, reliance on push delivery systems, lack of inter-agency collaboration, and limited resources.

The study assessed the role of radio Benue in the campaign against the spread of HIV/ AIDS among farmers in Makurdi Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State, Nigeria. A total of 140 respondents were selected for interview using a simple random sampling technique. The collected data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, Chi-square and logit regression model. Results of the study showed that HIV/AIDS radio programmes packaged in Pidgin English, local language or dramatized enhance farmers' interest, listenership and positive change in behavior. In addition, farmers' level of education, gender and ownership of radio sets were found to positively improve their level of satisfaction with HIV/AIDS radio programmes. Based on these findings, it was recommended that intervention polices aimed at combating HIV/AIDS scourge should package more radio programmes in Pidgin English, drama and local languages.