Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri

Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has commenced mobilization and sensitization of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to forestall outbreak of water diseases following flooding at some IDPs camps in the state.

SEMA Executive Chairperson, Hajiya Yabawa Kolo who led some officials and relief workers from the agency to the Teachers Village and Bakassi IDPs camps weekend, said the mobilization of the displaced persons at the camps was necessary for public health concern.

“We have protection concern. We have spoken to the protection unit to start mobilising on public health especially water-borne diseases, to educate mothers not to allow children swim in dirty, polluted water and also to be careful between the sewage and water ways, portable water so that we won’t have the two water coming together that could cause serious water-borne challenges,” Kolo said weekend during the mobilization exercise.

She said the torrential rainfall in the state since August 20 which led to flooding, has caused a lot of destruction on tents and idps’ refuge which Teachers Village, Bakassi, Stadium in Maiduguri and Monguno worse affected.

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He told the people to stay away from polluted water, adding that the inconveniences caused by the flooding was only a temporary challenge. He said short term measure of pumping out water from the flooded areas of the camp was to ensure the stagnant water does not trigger communicable diseases.

She also told journalists that quick assessment conducted by her agency at the affected camps showed that many shelters, water and sanitation facilities particularly latrines have been damaged.

She said 143 houses including 41 make shift shelters were affected at Monguno while the Teachers’ Village camp in Maiduguri recorded 16 affected places.

“Very soon, in collaboration with the ministry of health, we will launch mass campaigns in camps on public health issue relating to water,” she disclosed.

Days of heavy rainfall in Maiduguri caused flood in most parts of the city. Residents said it was the first time in a decade they will experience such downpour and flooding.