Borno IDP Camps Face Cholera Risk Amid Flood Crisis, UN Raises Alarm

The United Nations (UN) has warned that internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in Maiduguri, Borno state, may face a cholera outbreak following severe flooding. On Tuesday, the collapse of the Alau dam, which had been at full capacity for weeks, led to floods that displaced many residents in Fori, Galtimari, Gwange, and Bulabulin areas.

The flood adds to the ongoing humanitarian crisis caused by over a decade of insurgency, forcing many residents and cross-border refugees near Lake Chad to seek shelter in IDP camps.

In a report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), immediate needs such as food, protection, shelter, and clean water were identified. The UN also raised concerns about contaminated water sources, warning that it could lead to a cholera outbreak.

“Protection remains a major concern, especially among unaccompanied and separated children, older persons, and people living with disabilities,” OCHA stated. They further emphasized the need for non-food items and interventions to prevent cholera in overcrowded sites.

The flood has also impacted nutrition stabilization centers that treat “severely malnourished children” in MMC and Jere LGAs. The statement added, “Beyond MMC and Jere LGAs in Borno State, the Dalwa community in Damboa LGA is also affected, with Bama and Gwoza LGAs similarly reporting flooding.”

Before the recent flash floods, nearly 123,000 people in Borno had already been affected by floods and windstorms since August. The UN has called for immediate relief efforts to assist those impacted by the disaster.