BY FATIMA M SANI, SEPTEMBER 14, 2024 | 6:58PM

Hauwa Muhammad Bukar, a pregnant mother of four arrived at Yerwa Camp, a temporary Internally Displaced Persons, (IDPs) camp in Maiduguri on Monday night, after escaping a devastating flood in her community.

Like Hauwa, thousands others from different parts of the city took refuge in the camp after it was opened by the state government to accommodate victims of flood.

While trying to settle down in the camp, the heavy mother gave birth to her fifth child.

'I gave birth on the very day we arrived here from Bayan Quarters, they took me to a clinic inside the camp, but there wasn’t enough food. Once, the doctor gave me food, medicine, and warm water, and that was all I had.' she said, recalling the harrowing moment.

Hauwa’s story mirrors the struggles of over 20,000 people who have taken refuge at the camp, situated along Kashim Ibrahim road.

The camp is now home to over 3,000 households, each battling their own unique hardships.

However, the major concern of Hauwa and other mothers is how to feed their children and protect them from health challenges.

In an interview with this reporter, the IDPs at Yerwa camp noted that food, shelter and sanitation are in short supply.

Falmata Ali, another occupant of the camp who fled her home in Budum Limanti community also shares her ordeal.

Falmata shares a dark and cramped classroom with her three children.

'We once entered the classroom with my children, but it’s so dark, there’s no lighting, no mosquito nets. If we manage to eat today, we don’t know when the next meal is coming,' she said.

Falmata expressed gratitude to two International Non Governmental Organization, (INGOs) World Food Programme (WFP) and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), who provided them with meal tickets.

Similarly, Borno State government has promised each flood victim a food card and N10,000.

Falmata however lamented that the process of using the card to access food is also chaotic, sometimes getting physical

'We’ve even been beaten in some instances while trying to get food,' she said.

Babagana Mohammed, another flood victim in the camp, complained about the struggle to eat in the camp.

'We get food, but it’s not enough. Feeding here is survival of the fittest,' Mohammed, a father of six added.

Growing Health Concerns

As the days pass, the camp, formerly Yerwa Girls Secondary School, becomes increasingly overcrowded, with people from neighboring areas like Bulumkutu arriving daily.

The flood survivors in Yerwa camp said that the rapid growing of the camp is making an already strained resources even scarcer.

With no proper sanitation, the camp is a breeding ground for diseases.

Bintu Ahmadu, another mother from Galtimari expressed concern over the lack of hygiene facilities.

'There’s no proper place to wash, no clean clothes to wear, and no mattresses to sleep on. People are defecating everywhere, and I’m worried about cholera and other infections,' the mother of eight explained.

Even with the presence of humanitarian organizations such as UNICEF, WHO, and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the camp remains on the brink of a health crisis.

The camp is coordinated by the Borno State Commissioner of Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Engr. Lawan Abba Wakilbe, alongside other officials, but the scope of the problem far outweighs the current efforts.

The Weight of Survival

With her brand new infant baby, Hauwa's joy of new motherhood is clouded by the overwhelming responsibility of survival.

With five children to care for, she finds herself grappling with the everyday realities of life in the camp.

'I have lost contact with my husband and it is hard looking after these children alone in this place,' she said, her voice heavy with the weight of uncertainty.

Food is cooked in large quantities and distributed to the camp residents, but Hauwa’s concern isn’t just about feeding her children, but each day brings forth new challenges; overcrowding, more hunger, and the fear of disease.

The flood may have subsided, but the challenges for people like Hauwa are far from over.

What was meant to be a temporary reprieve has turned into a prolonged test of endurance, as families wait for the next meal, for better living conditions, and for some semblance of normalcy to return.