Highlights
According to IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) Round X Report (June, 2016), there are an estimated 1.7 million people displaced in Adamawa, Borno, Gombe and Yobe as a consequence of the conflict. An estimated 86 per cent of IDPs live in host communities while the remaining 14% live in IDP camps with children making up 55 per cent of the IDP population.
During the month of June, emergency Integrated Primary Health Care services reached 409,749 conflict affected people, out of which 103,755 were living in newly accessible areas. This brings the cumulative number of people reached since January 2016, to 1,973,938 people reached with primary health care outpatient services in North East Nigeria including close to 230,000 people in the newly liberated areas of Borno state.
A total of 85,713 children (66,874 boys, 73,939 girls) have been reached with psychosocial support services (PSS) through a network of 943 trained community volunteers in 195 Child-Friendly Spaces (CFSs) in 23 IDP camps and 209 communities since January 2016.
Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) program reached 58,979 severely malnourished children with outpatient care of which 7% are from the newly liberated areas. 47,423 children severely malnourished under 5 were admitted to therapeutic feeding programmes to receive inpatient treatment.
UNICEF has developed an immediate scale up plan focusing on a multisector response to address the needs of the people living in the newly accessible areas including a massive scale up of the nutrition programme in MMC/Jere and Southern Borno. The critical immediate funding needs required for this Scale Up Plan amount to $ 71.1 million to cover the urgent needs of the affected population in the next 6 months (July-December 2016). These new needs will be reflected in a forthcoming revised HAC for Nigeria.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
The conflict between Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), commonly known as Boko Haram, and the Nigerian Security Forces (NSF) in the North East of Nigeria is entering its seventh year. According to IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) Round X Report (June, 2016), there are an estimated 1.7 million people displaced in Adamawa, Borno, Gombe and Yobe as a consequence of the conflict. The largest proportion of these IDPs are located in Borno state (1.4 million), followed by Adamawa (159,445), Yobe (112,671) and Gombe (27,376). The vast majority of IDPs (86 per cent) live in host communities while the remaining 14% live in IDP camps. Children make up 55 per cent of the IDP population and more than half of them are under five years old.
A Joint UN Assessment1 was carried out in Borno and Yobe States between 11 and 14 April 2016. The assessment focus was on IDPs and host communities in the newly accessible areas of Bama, Damboa, Dikwa and Monguno LGAs, on Maiduguri and surrounds (Jere & Konduga LGAs) in Borno, and Damaturu, Badem Fune, Jakusko and Yunusari in Yobe. While the primary focus of the mission was on food security and nutrition, such needs cannot be addressed in isolation given the massive and urgent needs in WASH, health, CCCM/shelter & NFI and protection, calling for a joint needs assessment across these sectors.
The key findings from the Joint UN Assessment show that a total of 800,000 people are severely food insecure and require immediate food assistance in Borno and Yobe States. In Borno State alone, over 550,000 people are severely food insecure, including 180,000 in Maiduguri’s outskirts, 120,000 camp residents and in particular the estimated 250,000 IDPs in newly accessible areas. In Yobe State some 250,000 people are severely food insecure including 200,000 in rural areas and at least 55,000 IDPs and host populations in Damaturu.
There are at least 242,000 children with Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) in Borno and 136,000 in Yobe where health and nutrition services are extremely limited especially in the newly accessible areas. Seventy-five per cent of water and sanitation facilities in Borno and 9 per cent in Yobe require rehabilitation. The vast majority of IDPs are children, women and older persons with severe protection needs including an urgent need of psychosocial support.
Nutrition program data obtained since the assessment in April gathered through Mid and Upper Arm Circumference Screening of children under 5 in newly accessible areas provided evidence in support of the alarming findings from the Joint UN Assessment. For example, MUAC screening carried out by the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (SPHCDA) with UNICEF support in Bama, Dikwa, Konduga and by ALIMA in Monguno show extremely high GAM rates ranging from 22 – 59 per cent.
The Federal Minister of Health declared a nutrition emergency for Borno State on the 27 June 2016. UNICEF response will focus on Nutrition, WASH, Health and Food, however, there are also acute needs in other sectors.
There are acute child protection issues in the North East. It is estimated that there are 20,000 unaccompanied and separated children, over 7,000 women and children who have been subjected to Boko Haram related sexual violence, including forced marriage, and over 1,000 boys who were recruited and used by Boko Haram. Over 1,200 abducted children have been rescued in 2016 alone. A joint assessment by UNICEF and International Alert, supported by the Government of Japan (February 2016), on perceptions of girls and women subjected to Boko Haram related sexual violence, and forced marriage highlighted the significant challenges that they face when they try to return to their communities, due not only to stigma but also fear that they have been radicalised. Also of extreme concern, is that children born out of sexual violence are at real risk not only of rejection but also violence in some communities. The reintegration challenges facing boys who were recruited and used by Boko Haram are even more acute. Two studies in 2016, funded by the UK Department for International Development and carried out by UNICEF, the British Council and the Neem Foundation, have highlighted extreme resistance from both families and communities to the return of these boys, regardless of whether they were abducted and were recruited through other means, with violence being threatened if they return.
As the security situation evolves new areas become accessible and new dimensions of need emerge. State coordination committees have informed UNICEF about the urgent needs of schooling in newly accessible LGAs. These needs included temporary learning spaces/tent, rehabilitation of damaged school buildings, water sources, and toilets. Children are more vulnerable in return areas due to absence of safe schooling, only damaged /destroyed facilities and lack of uniforms and learning materials. The availability of teachers is another critical need to be addressed urgently as well as the capacity of existing teachers. Seasonal storms – high winds and heavy rain have disrupted learning in temporary learning spaces (tents). High winds have unrooted and damaged tents. The weather has created a safety hazard for children – flying tents and wet, dirty tent floors. Children who attended these 32 damaged tents lost access to safe learning spaces.