Community Disruptions and Forced Displacement Experiences of IDPs During Conflict and Camp Life in Northern Nigeria
Location
SU-217
Start Date
1-5-2026 11:40 AM
Department
Community and Public Health
Abstract
The widespread violence and atrocities orchestrated by Boko Haram has displaced millions of people and triggered a complex humanitarian emergency across northern Nigeria and the Sahel region of West Africa. Communities have been forced to flee for their safety, abandoning livelihoods to take refuge in makeshift camps created for internally displaced people (IDP). The conflict is believed, directly and indirectly, to contribute to approximately 40,000 deaths and a range of diseases and social challenges. Women and children account for the majority of the displaced population, experiencing sexual violence and high maternal and infant mortality rates. We conducted qualitative, semi-structured, interviews, between January 2023 and February 2024, among 15 internally displaced persons (8 women and 7 men), who resided in an IDP camp in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. We elicited the participants’ perspectives on their displacements from their homes and communities, and their perceptions of access to health care and related services such as food, water, and sanitation in the camp. We also conducted a rapid assessment of the camp environment and the interaction among the IDPs, humanitarian aid workers, and security personnel to ascertain additional environmental factors that could affect the health of the camp’s residents. The participants reported disruption to family structure, limited access to health care services, education, and employment within the camp. They also reported religious discrimination, food shortages and inadequate access to water and sanitation. The findings from this study can inform the global response to similar complex humanitarian emergencies in other regions. This study adds to the understanding of global conflicts and reinforces the need for coordinated action to strengthen the health and safety of IDPs. The findings from this study suggest that humanitarian responses to internal displacement in Northern Nigeria have to go beyond short term emergency relief and target long term, coordinated prevention strategies to reduce violence and protect civilians. Post conflict strategies should prioritize community reintegration, livelihood restoration, psychological recovery, and sustainable and proactive peace building.
Faculty Sponsor
Isidore Udoh
Community Disruptions and Forced Displacement Experiences of IDPs During Conflict and Camp Life in Northern Nigeria
SU-217
The widespread violence and atrocities orchestrated by Boko Haram has displaced millions of people and triggered a complex humanitarian emergency across northern Nigeria and the Sahel region of West Africa. Communities have been forced to flee for their safety, abandoning livelihoods to take refuge in makeshift camps created for internally displaced people (IDP). The conflict is believed, directly and indirectly, to contribute to approximately 40,000 deaths and a range of diseases and social challenges. Women and children account for the majority of the displaced population, experiencing sexual violence and high maternal and infant mortality rates. We conducted qualitative, semi-structured, interviews, between January 2023 and February 2024, among 15 internally displaced persons (8 women and 7 men), who resided in an IDP camp in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. We elicited the participants’ perspectives on their displacements from their homes and communities, and their perceptions of access to health care and related services such as food, water, and sanitation in the camp. We also conducted a rapid assessment of the camp environment and the interaction among the IDPs, humanitarian aid workers, and security personnel to ascertain additional environmental factors that could affect the health of the camp’s residents. The participants reported disruption to family structure, limited access to health care services, education, and employment within the camp. They also reported religious discrimination, food shortages and inadequate access to water and sanitation. The findings from this study can inform the global response to similar complex humanitarian emergencies in other regions. This study adds to the understanding of global conflicts and reinforces the need for coordinated action to strengthen the health and safety of IDPs. The findings from this study suggest that humanitarian responses to internal displacement in Northern Nigeria have to go beyond short term emergency relief and target long term, coordinated prevention strategies to reduce violence and protect civilians. Post conflict strategies should prioritize community reintegration, livelihood restoration, psychological recovery, and sustainable and proactive peace building.