Displaced Families Struggle For Food, Shelter, Children’s Education At IDP Camps

By Francis Okoye, Maiduguri, Igho Oyoyo, Abuja, Sola Ojo, Kaduna, Aza Msue, Makurdi

Despite the closure of all officially recognised Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Borno State by the state government, many displaced families living in unofficial camps in Maiduguri are still grappling with hunger, inadequate shelter, poverty and inability to send their children to school.

The families, many of whom fled their communities following attacks by Boko Haram insurgents, say life remains difficult as they struggle to meet their daily needs without adequate financial and humanitarian support.

At the Wulari Jerusalem IDP camp in Maiduguri, 17-year-old Martha Samaila is among those facing an uncertain future after losing her father to Boko Haram terrorists in 2014 in Gwoza, Borno State.

Martha, who lives with her mother and five siblings, said she had never attended school because of financial difficulties.

Rather than being in a classroom with other children her age, the teenager spends most of her time at home assisting with domestic chores.

She appealed to the Borno State government, humanitarian organisations and well-meaning individuals to support her return to school, saying financial constraints had continued to deny her access to education.

Her mother, Mariam Samaila, said the family had been living in the camp since 2014 and was finding it increasingly difficult to cater for the children’s needs.

Mariam called on the government and humanitarian partners to assist the family, stressing that economic empowerment would enable her to provide for her children and improve their living conditions.

Similarly, 13-year-old Philip Markus is facing an uncertain future following the death of his father at the hands of Boko Haram insurgents.

Philip’s mother, Elizabeth Markus, said the loss of her husband had plunged the family into abject poverty, leaving her without the financial means to send her son to school.

She appealed to the government, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other humanitarian partners to come to their aid, particularly by providing educational support for her son.

The situation is also difficult for families at Elmiskin IDPs camp in the Old Maiduguri area of Jere Local Government Area of Borno State, where displaced persons continue to struggle to survive.

One of them, Hadiza Mustapha, who fled Gamboru Ngala with her husband, described life in the camp as horrible, saying feeding and meeting other basic needs had become a major challenge for her family.

According to her, Boko Haram insurgents invaded their community about five years ago, destroyed their house and looted their belongings, forcing the family to flee in search of safety.

Hadiza said life had not been easy since their displacement, adding that the family continued to face difficulties in securing the basic necessities of life.

She appealed to wealthy individuals and other well-meaning Nigerians to assist displaced families struggling to rebuild their lives.

The experiences of the families highlight the continuing humanitarian challenges confronting some displaced persons in Borno State, particularly those living outside officially recognised camps.

For families such as the Samailas and the Markuses, access to education remains a pressing concern, while food, shelter and livelihood support are essential to their survival.

They are therefore calling on the government, humanitarian organisations, philanthropists and other stakeholders to extend assistance to vulnerable displaced families to enable them to meet their basic needs and give their children an opportunity to access education. End

In the FCT, more than a decade after fleeing insurgency and communal conflicts, thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in camps across the Territory continue to battle hunger, inadequate shelter, poor sanitation, limited healthcare and lack of access to education.

There are about 18 IDP camps spread across the six area councils of the territory, with Durumi and Wassa among the most prominent.

The situation in the camps has raised concerns over the welfare of displaced families, particularly women and children who constitute a significant proportion of the population.

In many of the camps, residents depend heavily on individuals, faith-based groups and non-governmental organisations for food, clothing, medical assistance and other basic necessities.

The situation is particularly precarious at the Durumi IDP camp in Area 1, Abuja, following the demolition of hundreds of makeshift shelters by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

The camp was established by families who fled the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East, particularly Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.

The camp, which at various times housed between 2,700 and 3,500 people, was subjected to a major demolition exercise by FCTA in May 2026.

More than 1,300 makeshift structures, popularly known as batcher houses, were reportedly demolished across about five hectares.

The FCTA justified the exercise on security and urban development grounds, saying the structures had been infiltrated by criminal elements and were obstructing planned transportation corridors.

But the demolition left hundreds of displaced families without shelter, with residents, including pregnant women, nursing mothers and children, reportedly forced to sleep in the open or under makeshift nylon coverings.

For the affected families, displacement has therefore taken a new dimension, with some who fled violence in their home states now facing homelessness in the nation’s capital.

Beyond shelter, residents face difficulties accessing clean water, healthcare, sanitation and education for their children.

Although private individuals, humanitarian organisations and NGOs have continued to provide occasional assistance, the intervention remains inadequate to meet the needs of the growing population.

At Wassa, on the outskirts of Abuja, the challenges are equally severe.

The camp, regarded as one of the largest IDP settlements in the FCT, is home to thousands of people, many of whom fled the Boko Haram insurgency in Borno, particularly Gwoza, as well as Adamawa and Yobe states.

Estimates of the camp’s population range from 5,500 to 7,000 people.

Residents live largely in overcrowded mud and plastic structures with poor ventilation, inadequate sanitation and limited access to safe drinking water.

With the rising cost of food and declining humanitarian assistance, some families struggle to provide even basic meals for their children.

Reports of child malnutrition, including stunting and wasting, have heightened concerns about the long-term impact of prolonged displacement and poverty.

A primary healthcare facility built in the camp has reportedly suffered from shortages of drugs and other essential supplies, leaving residents to depend largely on external interventions or travel outside the camp when they require medical attention.

The lack of adequate healthcare has particularly affected children, with preventable illnesses sometimes developing into serious conditions because of delayed treatment.

Poor sanitation and unsafe water supply have also exposed residents to health risks.

The overcrowded shelters, inadequate toilets and unreliable water sources have compounded the vulnerability of the population to diseases.

Women and children remain among the most vulnerable groups in the camps.

Apart from the challenges of food, shelter and healthcare, women face risks associated with poverty, insecurity and lack of economic opportunities, while many children have been unable to access regular education.

In Wassa, however, women have established informal support networks to help families cope with the economic hardship.

Through small contributions and support from humanitarian organisations, some women have pooled resources to start petty businesses and other livelihood activities.

Despite such community-led efforts, the scale of the needs remains far greater than the assistance available.

Residents of the camps have also expressed fears over possible eviction and the lack of clear, sustainable relocation plans.

For many displaced families, returning to their ancestral communities remains difficult because of continuing insecurity, destroyed homes and livelihoods.

As a result, the camps have increasingly become long-term settlements rather than temporary shelters.

The continued hardship in the FCT camps has renewed calls for stronger government intervention, including provision of decent accommodation, food, healthcare, potable water, sanitation, education and livelihood support, as well as a clear resettlement framework for displaced families.

Humanitarian assistance, residents say, may provide temporary relief, but without a sustainable resettlement and rehabilitation programme, thousands of displaced Nigerians risk remaining trapped in a cycle of dependency and renewed displacement.

Elsewhere in Kaduna, Northwest Nigeria, thousands of internally displaced persons taking refuge in Mararaban Rido, Chikun local government area of the state, are battling multiple crises including hunger, insecurity, trauma and the loss of livelihoods, with children bearing much of the burden.

Chairman of Internally Displaced Persons in the area, Comrade Adam Sule, told reporters that about 4,000 displaced persons were living in Mararaban Rido without a formal camp or adequate support to meet their basic needs.

The displaced persons, he said, came mainly from communities in Chikun and Kachia local government areas, where persistent insecurity had forced families to abandon their homes, farms and sources of livelihood.

Among the most vulnerable are young boys and girls many of whom face an uncertain future as poverty and displacement disrupt their education, expose them to psychological trauma and leave their families struggling to provide food and other necessities.

According to Sule, the absence of adequate food and livelihood support had forced some displaced farmers to return to nearby bushes in search of ways to survive, despite the dangers posed by armed groups operating in the area.

The decision, he explained, often comes at a terrible cost, as some of the displaced persons have been kidnapped or killed while attempting to sustain their families.

He said insecurity had continued to threaten communities around the settlement, forcing residents to abandon their homes at night and seek refuge in places they consider safer.

The situation, he said, had deepened the psychological distress of displaced families who are still struggling to recover from the violence that uprooted them from their ancestral communities.

The chairman expressed concern that some children had dropped out of school because their parents and guardians could no longer afford to support their education.

“As you can see, they are all IDPs from different displaced communities, mainly in Chikun and Kachia local government areas, and we have about 4,000 of them here in Mararaban Rido.

“This is a centre that we are managing because we do not have a formal camp though, we wish we had one because these people are suffering a lot and going through many challenges.

“They are predominantly farmers, and they have nothing to eat or any other means of livelihood.

“That is why some of them still go into nearby bushes in search of a means of survival. Unfortunately, some of them are kidnapped or killed in the process.

“As I am speaking to you, many of our people who were recently kidnapped are still in the hands of kidnappers, who demand ransom for their release,” he said.

Sule called on the Kaduna State Government and relevant humanitarian organisations to provide food assistance, improve security around the displaced communities and establish a more organised support system for the affected families.

And In Benue State, no fewer than 14 IDPs camps exist as many go to ancestral lands to farm and return following the security challenges in rural communities.

The Benue State Emergency Management Agency said IDP camps would continue as far as villages still face security threats.

‎Speaking with LEADERSHIP, the Head of Information Unit of Benue-SEMA, Tema Ager, said four schools were built to cater for education of children living with their parents in the camps.

He said, “As far as insecurity is affecting communities IDPs camps will continue to be there. In Benue state we have 14 IDP camps. There were 15 camp before but we collapsed one, remaining fourteen.”