Many Nigerians have been rendered helpless at the Banki Internally Displaced Camp (IDP) in Borno State, Northeast Nigeria, as a result of heavy rainfall and release of water from a dam in Cameroon, Central Africa.
The development, according to Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) assessment carried out by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in late July and published on Aug. 1 further displaced no fewer than 7,389 persons from 2,332 households.
HumAngle understands that the IDPs have been moved to other communities not affected by floods in the Banki area.
āIn total, 348 shelters were either damaged or flooded by water. These included 130 block shelters, 180 mud shelters and 38 e-shelters, leaving a total of 2,332 households in immediate need of shelter. The team reported 48 injuries as a result of the flood,ā the report partly read.
The report says the incidents have also created humanitarian needs of food, shelter, shelter repair kits, as well as non-food items.
HumAngle also observed that while 55 per cent of those affected are females (with children 1-5 year olds most affected), 45 per cent others are males (with children and adolescents aged 6-17 mostly affected).
Banki community
Banki is a small community situated on the border between Nigeria and Cameroon. It is about 100 km away from Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State.
The Banki stream, a tributary of the Mayo Ngassawe river, is situated just 1km away from the fringes, south of the locality.
GIS analysis shows that the proximity of the village to the bank of the River played a significant role in the inflow of water into the camp after downpour overflooded the Dam gates.
Incidents such as this often occur in IDP camps at the thick of the rainy season, exacerbating the sufferings of the people already displaced by insecurity.
In June 2021, many shelters were damaged by heavy rainfalls accompanied by storms in six days in various IDP camps in Borno.
The Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) chairperson, Yabawa Kolo could not be reached on her known phone number to ascertain the plans towards assisting the displaced persons.
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