By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
UNICEF and its partner, Goal Prime Organisation on Thursday launched a Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) interventions for about 33,000 children with severe and moderate malnutrition in 3 OTP Centers of 3 wards of Mafa LGA of Borno State.
The interventions was aimed at enabling the humanitarian partners to deliver lifesaving assistance to address the immediate needs of the most undeserved populations in north east Nigeria supporting about 33,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Government Girls Arabic Secondary School (GGASS) IDPs Camp Mafa.
The UNICEF’s Nutrition Officer & Assessment Officer for Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states, (BAY), Nura Shehu in an interview with Journalists at the IDPs Camp Mafa said, “Out of the 14,000 children here from our research survey conducted, about 5000 suffer from Global severe Acute Malnutrition while 9000 suffer moderately acute malnutrition.”
Nura added that those global acute malnutrition problems were referred to the Stabilisation. Center at the General Hospital for general test and observations before being brought to the OTP Centers for Severe Acute Malnutrition treatment where RUTF is being given to the children for those with severe acute malnutrition and counselling is given to those with moderate acute malnutrition on how to maintain good hygiene and nutrition.
According to him, children of 6-59 months with acute malnutrition without complications are being admitted at the OTP Centers for further treatments, while children of 0-59 months with severe acute malnutrition with complications are being admitted first at the Stabilisation. Centers in hospitals.
On his part, the UNICEF Water Sanitation and Hygiene Specialist, Dr. Loris Salihu said out of the four boreholes at the IDPs camp, only one was functional when the interventions started serving over 32,000 populations or IDPs at the camp unlike in the past when the four boreholes were functional serving about 7000 population.
He said, “now the population is over 32,000 from our statistics and only one borehole out of the four boreholes at the camp was functioning. So, we have to intervene in partnership with one of our partners, GoalPrime Organisation to reactivate three of the grounded boreholes to meet up with the population water needs daily which by standard is about 15 liters per day but they were having about 7.5 liters per day instead.
“We are presently on assessment of the water and hygiene facilities with a view to optimize the capacity of the facilities to meet up with the number of the population and UN standard..
” The available water facilities which are boreholes in the camp can be optimize by adjusting the level of water supply while other sources of water near by can also be resuscitated to support the boreholes at the camp.
” For hygiene at the camp, the number toilets and how they are being used by the population also require water for cleanliness and maintenance. So, the toilets and environment are being sanitized to ensure cleanliness and better hygiene at the camp for better health of the population,” Salihu said.
” UNICEF in partnership with GoalPrime Organisation, have rehabilitated the other three boreholes. The clean water supply met the global humanitarian services standard of 15 litres per person per day when the population of the IDPs at the camp was just about 7000.
“But with the influx of more IDPs from neighbouring communities, swelling their population to over 33,000 now, the supply drastically fell to just about 7.5 litres per person per day now, which is grossly inadequate by global standards.
“To improve on the situation, apart from these four boreholes, we may not immediately dig more, but we will consider optimising the capacity of these four and examine the possibility of augmenting their capacity from other sources in town.,” Salihu added.
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