The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with the Gombe State Government, on Friday supported internally displaced women and children sheltering in camps across the state.
Beneficiaries are among 7,000 people displaced from communities in Alkaleri Local Government Area, Bauchi State, following attacks by bandits on their villages.
The victims are currently staying in a camp located in Kashere town of Akko Local Government Area, Gombe State.
Chief of the UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, Nuzhat Rafique, said the intervention aimed to prevent disease outbreaks and improve conditions in the camp.
She expressed concern over poor sanitation and stressed the need to strengthen hygiene practices to safeguard the health of women and children.
“UNICEF is here especially to support immunisation and health services for pregnant and lactating mothers, including deliveries at a nearby facility where services are available.
“Today we distributed hygiene and dignity kits because sanitation is very poor here and hygiene must improve to prevent cholera and other diseases.
“We have given almost 600 dignity and WASH kits to be used judiciously to improve hygiene at the camp,” she said.
Rafique said vaccination had also begun for many children who had never previously received routine immunisation.
She explained that several zero-dose children at the camp were now being covered under the immunisation programme.
According to her, children who had never attended school were also being supported through plans to establish temporary learning facilities.
“So we will establish a safe learning space so these children can begin learning and continue when they return to their communities,” she said.
Rafique commended the governments of Gombe and Bauchi states for supporting displaced persons.
She also praised the host community for helping to manage the camp and maintain order among residents.
Executive Secretary of the Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Abdulrahman Shuaibu, said health interventions were ongoing to support displaced families.
Shuaibu said the agency had supplied free medicines to improve access to treatment for residents at the camp.
He noted that children’s health remained a priority, with several zero-dose children already vaccinated.
According to him, two children had died in the camp while two babies had been delivered since the displaced families arrived.
Shuaibu said that about 300 children had received routine immunisation as of Thursday.
He added that 33 children previously classified as zero-dose had also been vaccinated.
The state government, he said, was working with UNICEF to provide therapeutic food for malnourished children
Chairman of the camp committee, Umar Badiko, said the displaced families arrived on Feb. 24 after attacks on their communities.
He explained they fled from Digare, Mansur, Yelo and Gwana wards in Alkaleri Local Government Area.
Badiko said children accounted for between 3,000 and 4,000 of the camp’s 7,000 residents.
He warned that the high number of children increased the risk of disease outbreaks.
According to him, UNICEF’s intervention helped prevent serious health crises in the camp.
He said poor hygiene and widespread open defecation had earlier raised fears of disease outbreaks.
Badiko lamented the shortage of sanitation facilities at the camp.
He said only 20 toilets currently served the entire population of about 7,000 displaced persons.
He appealed for urgent construction of additional toilets to discourage open defecation and improve sanitation.
Some displaced women commended the governments of Gombe and Bauchi stated, as well as UNICEF, for supporting them.
They said food supplies, medicines and medical services were being provided free at the camp.
However, some mothers with malnourished children appealed for urgent assistance to treat the condition and reverse the effects of malnutrition.
