By Jacinta Nwachukwu
The security challenge in some parts of the country has presented various headaches
to governments, the military and the entire society.
While some such as food security and crime are easily noticeable, others go largely
unnoticed. One of such is the increasing number of births at the Internally Displaced
Persons (IDPs) camps where sexually active by largely idle men and women live.
A report from the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) shows that
80 babies were delivered by the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in the state
in seven months.
The Executive Secretary, SEMA, Dr Emmanuel Shior, said this in Makurdi at the
monthly distribution of relief materials to displaced persons in the state.
Shior explained that most of the IDPs co-habited with their partners, hence the high
number of births recorded in the camps.
While saying that SEMA is very strict on illicit sexual affairs in the camps, he,
however, expressed concern at its difficulty to control the rate of births in the camps.
Similarly, Mrs Evelyn Omijie, Assistant Coordinator of the IDPs camp in Edo said 20
babies have been born in the camp in seven years.
Omijie said the babies were born by married young couples among the IDPs who
were allowed to stay together.
“We did not record any unwanted births among the singles in the camp. We have a
standard in the camp, and this includes the demarcation of the females’ living quarters
from the males’ living quarters.
“We also teach morals and let them understand that they already have enough on their
hands which is being in the camp because of their displacement, so it is pertinent that
they live a meaningful life,” she said.
She said with such guidance, counseling and training, the management of the camp
has been able to ensure and maintain sanity in the camp among the IDPs.
The story is not different at IDPs camp, Durumi in the Federal Capital Territory
(FCT), Abuja.
Mrs Liyatu Ayuba, Women Leader and a traditional birth attendant in the camp said
that she had helped expectant mothers to deliver over 218 babies.
Ayuba, who said that she had spent nine years in the camp, explained that after
delivery she usually took the child and mother to hospital for proper care.
She said that she was trained for four months on how to deliver babies which she has
been doing successfully by the grace of God.
It is also observed that these camps existed through three states which are Borno,
Yobe and Adamawa.
On the best way to manage population among IDPs, the Nigerian Army Officer Wives
Association (NAOWA) underscored the need for women in the camps to observe
family planning for improved family life.
The wife of Military Secretary, Mrs Maryam Abdussalam, who visited some women
at the Durumi IDPs camp, also donated relief materials to them in commemoration of
2022 Nigerian Army Day celebration.
According to her, family planning is central to gender equality even as women
empowerment is a key factor in reducing poverty.
According to Abdussalam the Association will engage medical doctors to educate the
women in the camps on effective family planning.
Abdussalam explained that controlling the number of children individuals and or
couples have as well as spacing and timing of their births would help for proper
family management.We see a lot of children that have been born here and there is no place for recreational activities for them. I am going through some emotions seeing the children and the women here;
honestly there are a lot that needs to be done.
“We are going to involve some doctors, or corps members to come here and talk to
them on what to do,’’ she said.
Meanwhile, global estimates indicate that the number of people displaced annually by
conflict and violence has increased since 2003.
In Nigeria a report by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally
Displaced Persons shows that as of December2021 the number of IDPs in Nigeria
stood at 3.1 million.
They were displaced due to insurgency, political instability and the activities of
terrorist groups, particularly in the North-East.
Analysts say that because of the severe social instability the IDPs experienced, they
are likely to have irregular access to family planning and little control over their
sexual encounters.
They say these factors placed IDPs at an increased risk for unintended
pregnancies, poorly spaced or high-risk pregnancies, and sexually
transmitted infections (STIs).
Furthermore, adolescents living in IDP camps are at a high risk of being sexually
abused and exploited.
They observe that reproductive health care services are rarely adequately provided by
government and other stakeholders working with IDPs.
According to them, the inadequacy of family planning services among IDP camps has
failed to measure up with the family planning needs of the IDPs leading to a series of
unmet needs with devastating consequences.
Medical experts say increasing their need for a range of complementary services
including appropriate contraceptives and counseling will help to moderate their family
size.
Mr Julius Ankpa, a marriage counselor says government and NGOs should establish
centres in the various IDP camps where the people can have easy access to family
planning services.Government should also consider returning some of the IDPs back to their communities where relative peace has returned. This is because it is assumed that outside the camp, it is easy for the people to access
these facilities.
“They will also have less time to spend together as couples. Most of the people are
idle while in the camp and this partly explains the population growth in the camps,”
he said. (NANFeatures)
