• Camp experiences cholera outbreaks, malnutrition
From Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
A populated camp for displaced victims of insurgency in Borno’s liberated town, has received a water supply intervention from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
The over 30, 000 population Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp at Mafa, a town in the central part of Borno, has experienced disease outbreaks including cholera and malnutrition among children linked to water scarcity and poor hygiene, the global body said.
UNICEF through its Rapid Response Mechanism Intervention in Mafa Local Government and other parts of affected northeast states, said it rehabilitated three high capacity boreholes to provide 60,000 litres of water to 33,140 people in 6,643 households in the camp daily.
Water Sanitation and Hygiene Specialist, UNICEF office in Nigeria, Dr Loris Salihu on Thursday in Mafa, said the intervention was executed in collaboration with other partners.
“Out of the four boreholes at the camp, only one was functional; but in partnership with GoalPrime, we have rehabilitated the other three,” Salihu disclosed.
He said the intervention focuses on addressing the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), and nutrition need of the “most underserved populations in northeast Nigeria” affected by the violence.
He said each of the three rehabilitated boreholes has 14 tap heads totalling 42 taps.
The camp which was established in 2026, had experienced Cholera outbreaks. In 2022, 216 cholera cases with two deaths were.
In March 2023, there was also a fire outbreak at the camp which affected 1,501 shelter (1,463households) and 8,778 individuals. Two children died in the incident according to UNICEF.
Concerned about the fate of children in the camp, UNICEF said it embarked on the reconstruction of the three bore-holes to provide watery sensitize the IDPs on sanitation to save life.
“Children have over the years bore the highest brunt of the lack of adequate water facilities in the camp with Cholera outbreaks, high cases of malnutrition truancy in school,” UNICEF said in a brief.
It said the activities were supported with funding from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, European Civil Protection and ECHO.