From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Over 1 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDP), especially women and children in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, lack humanitarian aid, according to NGO Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP).
LEDAP Senior Programme Manager Pamela Okoroigwe, who released a report recently in Abuja on the plight of IDPs, noted that their condition is disturbing, with young women resorting to trading sex for food.
Okoroigwe added that between 2009 and 2016, over 1.17 million of the 2.2 million IDPs were women, with 510,555 being adolescent girls of reproductive age.
She reports that the sexual exploitation of IDPs has increased the HIV transmission rate.
‘An overview of the findings indicate high levels of sexual exploitation of IDPs and a correlated increase in HIV transmission rates;
‘A wide range of inadequacies in the provision of SRH services, such contraception, abortion, SHR trauma-related psychosocial counselling; evidence of preventable material injuries and deaths;
‘Inadequate financing and coordination of acute and protracted humanitarian response and concerns about financial and technical capacity to undertake recovery efforts;
‘Overlooked linkages between access to shelter, food, and education for children, and susceptibility to SRHR violation, among other violation, and a lack of accountability mechanism,’ she said.
She recommended that ‘the Government of Nigeria should take immediate steps to comply with international and regional human rights obligations regarding access to maternal health care services, abortion, and other related SRHR services for survivors of sexual violence to ensure women and girls affected by conflict-related violence can access comprehensive medical and support services, including psychosocial support.’