BY USMAN BASHIR ABUBAKAR, JANUARY 01, 2025 | 10:14 AM
In the heart of Maiduguri’s Muna IDP Camp, thousands of displaced families live amidst a fragile balance of hope and despair. The camp is now one of the few unofficial camps operating in the state.
This means that it is, to some extent, not enjoying the blessings of being looked after by the state government. IDP camps in Borno’s metropole were shut down by the government in 2022, leaving a few unofficial ones operating across satellite towns and communities.
Initially a sanctuary for those fleeing violence, the camp now faces a dire crisis: a lack of functional toilets.
Globally, an estimated 3.5 billion people live without access to safe sanitation, and 419 million still practice open defecation. These grim figures resonate with the conditions in Muna Camp, where many residents have no choice but to defecate in the open due to the dire state of sanitation facilities.
Despite the Borno’s commitment to eliminating open defecation across the state, the reality remains stark. According to UNICEF, only 53% of Borno State’s population uses basic latrines, leaving nearly 47% vulnerable to unsafe excreta disposal, cholera, and other waterborne diseases.
For the residents of Muna Camp, who have been largely fending for themselves, this statistic is not just a number; it is their lived reality.
The camp’s existing toilet facilities, once a source of relief, have fallen into severe disrepair. This has forced residents to turn to unsafe and unhygienic alternatives, transforming a basic human necessity into a daily struggle for dignity.
Among those enduring this ordeal is Zarami Maidugu, a camp resident whose story echoes the shared hardship of thousands of others.
'More than 100 people—or even more—are forced to share the only two functional toilets left. For months now, no government agency or NGO has come forward to repair the facilities,' he lamented, his voice a mix of frustration and resignation.
Zarami Maidugu, an IDP in the Muna Camp. Photo credit: Usman Bashir Abubakar.
Muna Camp, which shelters displaced persons from areas like Marte, Mafa, and Dikwa, presents a deceptive image of progress.
While well-constructed clinics suggest that essential needs are being met, a closer look reveals a community grappling with the absence of basic sanitation.
The non-functional latrines in the Muna Camp. Photo credit: Usman Bashir Abubakar.
Of the 15 latrine blocks, each with six cubicles, only two remain functional. The others are abandoned, standing as glaring symbols of neglect. Left without alternatives, many residents have turned to open defecation despite the associated health and safety risks.
'We cannot stop them because there is no alternative,' said a community health worker, who requested anonymity. The worker expressed deep concern over the health implications, especially as no visible effort has been made to address the problem.
The non-functional latrines in the Muna Camp, behind which people defecate. Photo credit: Usman Bashir Abubakar.
As the displaced population waits for action, their plight underscores a critical question: who will step forward to restore their dignity and ensure that basic human rights, such as access to sanitation, are not ignored?
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