Maiduguri flood: Victims in dilemma after discharge from camps

The decision by Borno State to shut down relief camps for people displaced by the devastating floods that ravaged Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC) and Jere Local Government Area (LGA) has thrown some families into confusion.

Some survivors of the flood taking refuge inside the camps said the state government’s decision will push them into deeper crises, because their houses are inhabitable, with nowhere to go.

But since the incident happened, government officials and some humanitarian agencies, who have been managing the camps, have been complaining that some people, who were not affected by the flood, have infiltrated the camps.

People from nearby Damboa LGA and others from as far as Bama, Mafa, Dikwa, among others, have allegedly moved to the emergency camps, all in an effort to collect food and other support items meant for victims of the recent flood.

The setting up of the flood victims’ camps came at a time the state government was pushing hard to complete the resettlement of victims of the Boko Haram insurgency who have not been in their ancestral homes for over 15 years.

On the latest development, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum had said that only camps that are being operated in schools would be closed to allow learning activities to fully resume across the state.

However, our correspondent who went round the city saw some of the people leaving one of the major camps, Bakassi, in drops, and many of them interviewed said they were discharged by the camp’s officials. Zara Isa, a survivor of Fariya, said the flood water is still around their homes and she does not know where to go.

“I arrived at this camp six days ago with my six children. Today, they asked everyone to leave. We were given food and money but we didn’t have anywhere to go.