Maiduguri flood: Save the Children calls for urgent action against cholera outbreak at IDPs camps

Save the Children (SCI), the international charity organisation, says there is an urgent need for an intervention to prevent the spread of the outbreak of cholera at the internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, due to the recent flooding.

More than 40,000 people are affected by floods in Maiduguri, with some 37 deaths and 58 people injured reported so far.

The flooding in the city is one of the worst in over 30 years, leaving families and children without shelter, healthcare, school, clean water and food.

Duncan Harvey, the country director of SCI in Nigeria, told journalists in Abuja on Tuesday that the first cholera cases have already been reported, describing it as a major health risk that needs urgent intervention.

“I was in Maiduguri until Saturday when I saw the massive damages the flooding caused and interacted with some affected families,” Harvey said.

“It was an opportunity for me and my organisation to evaluate the situation and work with my colleagues in Maiduguri to provide immediate assistance to some affected populations.

“The flooding is happening at the height of a food and nutrition crisis– the lean season.

“In addition to the immediate need for food and clean water for the IDPs, water-borne diseases and malaria are major risks.

“Open defecation in the camps is widespread. The first cholera cases have been reported and this is a major health risk that needs an urgent intervention.”

The country director said SCI is already on ground in Maiduguri to provide urgent rescue service, lifesaving response and rehabilitation of affected communities.

He added that the organisation has set up health and nutrition outreach services to the affected households; and undertaking rehabilitation of sanitation facilities as well as conducting hygiene promotion and community awareness raising.

“Save the Children’s urgent response plan to the crisis includes but not limited to multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA) to the affected households; setting up health and nutrition outreach services to the affected households,” he said.

“Rehabilitation of sanitation facilities and conducting hygiene promotion and community awareness raising; child protection in emergencies through setting up mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) help desk to provide psychological first-aid and psychosocial support to children and caregivers in the camps; the rollout of safe family sessions and establishing minimum protection monitoring activities, among others.”