People displaced from their homes and communities, following attacks by Islamist group Boko Haram, wait at an internally-displaced persons (IDP) camp in Maiduguri in Borno State, on August 3, 2015. Nigeria’s military said August 3 it had “besieged” Boko Haram positions in the Islamist militant group’s northeastern heartland after setting free 178 hostages, mainly women and children. The ongoing operation has led to the capture of a Boko Haram commander, according to the army, while a “large number” of the extremists have been killed in air strikes. AFP PHOTO
The Borno State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, yesterday, said it registered 3,000 births among internally-displaced persons, IDPs, in the past six months.
The SEMA Chairman, Satomi Ahmad, who disclosed this in Maiduguri, said the births were registered at various camps located in the state capital between January and June.
File: IDP camp
He explained that the birth records showed significant increase due to the high number of couples at the camps, adding that “the mothers were supported with drugs and reproductive kits.”
The SEMA boss said the agency was working in collaboration with the state’s Ministry of Health to support expectant mothers and enhance reproductive health management in the camps.
The chairman said SEMA had provided ambulances to enhance referral services and reduce mortality.
Earlier, SEMA said it registered 13,000 births in IDPs camps in the past four years, noting that it helped the mothers and babies with food items, nutritional supplements and dresses for the babies.
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