Protecting conflict affected populations against water and sanitation related diseases and COVID-19 in North East Nigeria Since 2009, the Boko Haram (herein, Armed Opposition Groups [AOGs]) insurgency has crippled Northeastern (NE) Nigeria. Borno State (Borno) has been particularly affected of the 2.2 million people forced from their homes across the region, over half (1.5 million) are in Borno. AOGs also continue to attack LGAs in Northern Adamawa and Eastern Yobe states. The Global Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) estimated that there are 7.9 million people in need in northeast Nigeria, of which approximately 4.3 million people live in Borno State (HNO, 2020).

1.8 million people are still internally displaced across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) states, and living in either a formal IDP camp or in an informal settlement with host communities which continues to overstretch the already limited water and sanitation infrastructures. 

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic poses a new threat to the already vulnerable population in NE Nigeria. According to Nigerian Center for Disease Control (NCDC), as at 20th June, there are 19,808 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 506 deaths recorded in Nigeria. 

In line with the United Nations program criticality assessment, the IRC will leverage existing experience and strong coordination with the State Ministry of water resources (SMoWR), State ministry of Health (SMoH), water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and health Partners, community leadership as well as existing community structures to help mitigate the transmission and effects of the pandemic among vulnerable populations in IDP and host communities across the BAY states. 

Activities will focus on Strategic Objectives 1 and 2 of the Humanitarian Response Plan (2019-2021) - Saving lives by intensifying handwashing promotion at community and household level, together with hand washing stations as well as promoting respiratory hygiene awareness in the target communities, providing timely and integrated multi-sector WASH assistance and mainstreaming protection interventions to the most vulnerable populations. This aims to improve safe access to water and sanitation and increase people’s knowledge on how to identify and interrupt the transmission of COVID-19. The IRC will provide emergency water and sanitation facilities, and WASH NFIs, focusing particularly on soap distribution. The IRC will work closely with both the SMoH run health facilities as well as those supported by health partners to improve health service delivery through the provision of adequate water, sanitation, Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) supplies which will be accompanied with the establishment and training of IPC committees. In the IDP camps, the IRC will also work closely with the CCCM and provide WASH support to established quarantine and isolation spaces, managed by health partners working in these IDP camps. This will ensure safety on suspected COVID-19 cases for both, care givers as well as health workers and thus minimize possible transmission of COVID-19.

The project will target Gana ali and Stadium Camp (Monguno), Boarding school camp (Konduga) and 20 Housing Unit, Gwoza Wakane and GSS Camp (Gwoza). Additionally, a total of 4 health facilities and a number of cholera hotspots will be targeted across Yobe and Adamawa. The exact sites will be determined by the pattern of the outbreak however targeted LGAs include Yola South, Mubi South, Yola North, Gireh and Damaturu.