By John Dike Osogbo
- lists over 30 camps in Sokoto
- seeks urgent relief for displaced families in Zamfara, Katsina
The Foundation for Peace Professionals (PeacePro) has raised the alarm over the risk of preventable disease outbreaks and a worsening humanitarian crisis in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps across Nigeria’s North-West, urging the Federal Government, state governments and humanitarian organisations to provide urgent assistance to affected families.
The organisation warned that thousands of people displaced by banditry could face serious health emergencies if immediate measures were not taken to address shortages of food, safe drinking water, adequate shelter, sanitation facilities and healthcare services in their settlements.
In a statement authorised by its Executive Director, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, PeacePro said its field observations in Sokoto, Zamfara and Katsina states revealed troubling conditions among displaced populations, many of whom had reportedly fled their communities following attacks by bandits and resorted to makeshift settlements with inadequate support.
The organisation disclosed that its team encountered more than 30 IDP camps during a visit to Sokoto State, including settlements around Sabon Birni, highlighting the scale of displacement and the growing humanitarian needs in the state.
In Zamfara State, PeacePro identified displaced persons’ settlements at Tsunami Camp, Government Secondary School Tsunami, Mareri, Tudun Wada and Unguwar Gwaza in Gusau, as well as locations in Anka, Lalan and Premier.
It also expressed concern about the situation of displaced people in Katsina State, calling for urgent assessments to establish the extent of their needs and ensure that vulnerable families were not excluded from relief interventions.
According to PeacePro, the reported shortages of essential supplies and the poor living conditions in some of the settlements could expose residents to preventable diseases, particularly where access to clean water, proper sanitation and medical services remained limited.
The organisation stressed that overcrowded shelters, unsafe water sources and inadequate hygiene facilities could increase the risk of disease transmission, making immediate medical assessments and preventive healthcare interventions necessary.
It called for the deployment of medical teams to the affected camps, regular disease surveillance, the provision of essential medicines and prompt attention to residents who might require urgent treatment.
PeacePro further urged the relevant authorities to provide food, potable water, temporary shelters, sanitation facilities and other basic necessities to displaced families, noting that humanitarian assistance should reach settlements according to their assessed needs and levels of vulnerability.
The organisation linked the worsening humanitarian situation to the wider consequences of banditry in the North-West, which it said had forced residents to abandon more than 500 communities across the region.
It, however, emphasised that while efforts to restore security remained important, the immediate survival and welfare of people already displaced by violence should receive urgent attention.
PeacePro said displaced families should not be left to endure hunger, unsafe living conditions and preventable illnesses while waiting for lasting security solutions to be achieved.
It called on the Federal Government, the Zamfara, Katsina and Sokoto State Governments, emergency management agencies and humanitarian organisations to conduct urgent assessments of the camps, identify underserved settlements and coordinate the delivery of emergency relief materials.
The organisation also advocated transparent reporting on the needs identified, the resources mobilised and the assistance delivered to affected communities, stressing that effective coordination and accountability were necessary to ensure that relief reached those who needed it most.
Hamzat warned that the humanitarian consequences of insecurity must not be overlooked, maintaining that people forced to flee their homes because of violence deserved protection and access to the basic necessities required to live with dignity.
He called for a coordinated and sustained humanitarian response that would address the immediate needs of displaced people while supporting longer-term efforts to restore peace and security.
PeacePro further stressed the importance of creating conditions that would allow displaced communities to return to their homes safely when security conditions permitted, noting that sustainable solutions must address both the humanitarian consequences of displacement and the insecurity responsible for it.
