JUST IN: Humanitarian Workers Pull Out Of IDPs Camp In Borno.

Humanitarian workers have pulled out of the Internally Displaced
Persons (IDPs) camp in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

The decision followed the outbreak of violence in the camp
during a protest by the IDPs over the quantity of food brought in
for distribution.

The Gubio Road IDP camp is home to displaced persons from 11
local governments of the state, and one of the 13 government
recognised IDP camps in Maiduguri.

The needs of the affected population are enormous and almost
insatiable, even with the team of government aid agencies and
humanitarian partners.

On Saturday last week, displaced persons were angry with the
quantity of food brought in for distribution and reacted violently,
smashing cars and injuring some humanitarian workers until security
forces contained the mayhem.

Following the incident, all humanitarian activities in the camp
were suspended until the safety of the humanitarian workers was
guaranteed.

– Two Bowls Of Sorghum For A Month –

One of the IDPs, Ibrahim Abubakar, explained the reasons for the
protest during an interview when Channels Television crew visited
the camp.

Abubakar said, “We were angry with these people (humanitarian
workers) not because of the sorghum they gave us, but because we
simply asked for a quantity that would adequately feed us and our
families.”

“Two bowls cannot sustain us for a whole month, no one can
survive on two bowls of sorghum for a whole month; that is our
problem. But if they bring food that would sustain us up to a month
we would be happy.”

Another displaced person, Maimuna Kassum, said, “The protest was
done because of the delay in food distribution and when they
finally came, they didn’t bring enough. That was why people
protested.”

“In the past, they used to give us rice but this time around
they brought sorghum; two bowls for every family for the next one
month.

“It won’t be enough since we have children and that’s why people
got impatient and did what they did. With this kind of problems,
returning home would have been better for us, it’s just that we
don’t have a home when we return,” she lamented.

Humanitarian workers have pulled out of the Internally Displaced
Persons (IDPs) camp in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

The decision followed the outbreak of violence in the camp
during a protest by the IDPs over the quantity of food brought in
for distribution.

The Gubio Road IDP camp is home to displaced persons from 11
local governments of the state, and one of the 13 government
recognised IDP camps in Maiduguri.

The needs of the affected population are enormous and almost
insatiable, even with the team of government aid agencies and
humanitarian partners.

On Saturday last week, displaced persons were angry with the
quantity of food brought in for distribution and reacted violently,
smashing cars and injuring some humanitarian workers until security
forces contained the mayhem.

Following the incident, all humanitarian activities in the camp
were suspended until the safety of the humanitarian workers was
guaranteed.

– Two Bowls Of Sorghum For A Month –

One of the IDPs, Ibrahim Abubakar, explained the reasons for the
protest during an interview when Channels Television crew visited
the camp.

Abubakar said, “We were angry with these people (humanitarian
workers) not because of the sorghum they gave us, but because we
simply asked for a quantity that would adequately feed us and our
families.”

“Two bowls cannot sustain us for a whole month, no one can
survive on two bowls of sorghum for a whole month; that is our
problem. But if they bring food that would sustain us up to a month
we would be happy.”

Another displaced person, Maimuna Kassum, said, “The protest was
done because of the delay in food distribution and when they
finally came, they didn’t bring enough. That was why people
protested.”

“In the past, they used to give us rice but this time around
they brought sorghum; two bowls for every family for the next one
month.

“It won’t be enough since we have children and that’s why people
got impatient and did what they did. With this kind of problems,
returning home would have been better for us, it’s just that we
don’t have a home when we return,” she lamented.