Environmental Health Problems in Displacement: A Case Study of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPS) in Maiduguri Camps Borno State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study assessed the environmental health problems of internally displaced persons in Maiduguri camps. The study covered three selected IDPs camps in Maiduguri. The objective of the study was to determine the condition of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Maiduguri on sanitation, overcrowding and the physical structures. Survey research design was adopted in conducting the research with a target population of 23,432 and sample size of 377. Data was collected from adult respondents using purposive sampling technique and a total of 377 copies of questionnaire was administered to the adult Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of the three selected camp; 350 (92.8%) copies were retrieved and found valid for analysis. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequency distribution and percentage counts. The result revealed that a majority of the respondents strongly disagreed that the sanitary, overcrowding and the condition of physical structures of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Maiduguri, Borno State was satisfactory. Thus, the study recommends the involvement of Borno State Environmental Protection Agency (BOSEPA) in waste management within the camps. It also recommends that Government and Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) should implement policies and programmes that will enhance environmental health awareness for IDP’s based on their gender and age.