scholarly journals A qualitative study of community engagement as a response model to sexual and gender-based violence in camps for internally displaced persons in northeast Nigeria

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Igo Chinweikpe Wordu
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Gitobu Cosmas Mugambi ◽  
◽  
Karin Michotte ◽  

Background: Gender based violence (GBV) remains a public health concern. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees have been shown to be at the highest risk of gender based violence. Somalia has been without a stable government for 26 years resulting in weak community and formal protection structures hence disproportionately increasing the vulnerability of females to gender based violence. Continued displacement of community members in South Central Somalia due to war, inters clan conflicts and the ongoing drought has resulted in more IDPs living in settlements along major urban areas. These IDPs continue to face violations such as forced evictions, discrimination and gender based violence. Objective: This study was aimed at investigating the past and present forms of structural violence faced by IDPs in Mogadishu as well as their knowledge and perceptions regarding the same. Methods: A descriptive cross sectional design was used in this study, in the month of May 2017. The study population for this survey was 320 IDPs in 10 IDP settlements in KM-11 and KM-13 regions of Mogadishu, South Central Somalia. Results: The study established a 91.7% prevalence rate of female genital mutilation among the female respondents. World Health Organization (W.H.O.) type III was the most common form of FGM that female respondents in the two IDP settlements (38.9%) had faced, followed by W.HO. type 4 (23.1%) and W.H.O. type I and II (15.9%). The mean age at which FGM was carried out among this group was 7 years while forced and early marriages (mean of 16 years) are common among this population group. Sexual assault and rape were singled out as the most common forms of violence faced by females in the two IDP settlements with the risk factors for this violence being described as displacement, overcrowding in IDP settlements, poor lighting in the IDP settlements at night, unaccompanied females in the IDP settlements and female headed households. Respondents expressed their overwhelming preference for community protection structures in averting GBV and customary law in arbitrating gender based violence cases. There was low awareness on services available for GBV survivors and so was the knowledge on the urgency to seek medical services within the 72 hours window period following rape. Conclusion: The study has established that structural violence is common among IDPs living in Mogadishu and it is constraining them from achieving the quality of life that would have otherwise been possible if they were not displaced. There is need to strengthen both community and formal protection units as well as raise awareness regarding the effects of the various forms of violence facing female IDPs, create awareness regarding services available for GBV survivors and ensure that these services are available and accessible to the IDPs


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Chiumento ◽  
Theoneste Rutayisire ◽  
Emmanuel Sarabwe ◽  
M. Tasdik Hasan ◽  
Rosco Kasujja ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Refugees fleeing conflict often experience poor mental health due to experiences in their country of origin, during displacement, and in new host environments. Conditions in refugee camps and settlements, and the wider socio-political and economic context of refugees’ lives, create structural conditions that compound the effects of previous adversity. Mental health and psychosocial support services must address the daily stressors and adversities refugees face by being grounded in the lived reality of refugee’s lives and addressing issues relevant to them. Methods We undertook a rapid qualitative study between March and May 2019 to understand the local prioritisation of problems facing Congolese refugees living in two refugee settings in Uganda and Rwanda. Thirty free list interviews were conducted in each setting, followed by 11 key informant interviews in Uganda and 12 in Rwanda. Results Results from all interviews were thematically analysed following a deductive process by the in-country research teams. Free list interview findings highlight priority problems of basic needs such as food, shelter, and healthcare access; alongside contextual social problems including discrimination/inequity and a lack of gender equality. Priority problems relating to mental and psychosocial health explored in key informant interviews include discrimination and inequity; alcohol and substance abuse; and violence and gender-based violence. Conclusions Our findings strongly resonate with models of mental health and psychosocial wellbeing that emphasise their socially determined and contextually embedded nature. Specifically, findings foreground the structural conditions of refugees’ lives such as the physical organisation of camp spaces or refugee policies that are stigmatising through restricting the right to work or pursue education. This structural environment can lead to disruptions in social relationships at the familial and community levels, giving rise to discrimination/inequity and gender-based violence. Therefore, our findings foreground that one consequence of living in situations of pervasive adversity caused by experiences of discrimination, inequity, and violence is poor mental health and psychosocial wellbeing. This understanding reinforces the relevance of feasible and acceptable intervention approaches that aim to strengthening familial and community-level social relationships, building upon existing community resources to promote positive mental health and psychosocial wellbeing among Congolese refugees in these settings.


Author(s):  
Kristina Lindvall ◽  
John Kinsman ◽  
Atakelti Abraha ◽  
Abdirisak Dalmar ◽  
Mohamed Farah Abdullahi ◽  
...  

Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia, situated in the Horn of Africa, are highly vulnerable to climate change, which manifests itself through increasing temperatures, erratic rains and prolonged droughts. Millions of people have to flee from droughts or floods either as cross-border refugees or as internally displaced persons (IDPs). The aim of this study was to identify knowledge status and gaps regarding public health consequences of large-scale displacement in these countries. After a scoping review, we conducted qualitative in-depth interviews during 2018 with 39 stakeholders from different disciplines and agencies in these three countries. A validation workshop was held with a selection of 13 interviewees and four project partners. Malnutrition and a lack of vaccination of displaced people are well-known challenges, while mental health problems and gender-based violence (GBV) are less visible to stakeholders. In particular, the needs of IDPs are not well understood. The treatment of mental health and GBV is insufficient, and IDPs have inadequate access to essential health services in refugee camps. Needs assessment and program evaluations with a patients’ perspective are either lacking or inadequate in most situations. The Horn of Africa is facing chronic food insecurity, poor population health and mass displacement. IDPs are an underserved group, and mental health services are lacking. A development approach is necessary that moves beyond emergency responses to the building of long-term resilience, the provision of livelihood support and protection to reduce displacement by droughts.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1-2 ◽  
pp. 100003
Author(s):  
Mariana Calderón-Jaramillo ◽  
Diana Parra-Romero ◽  
Luz Janeth Forero-Martínez ◽  
Marta Royo ◽  
Juan Carlos Rivillas-García

Author(s):  
Svitlana Nidzvetska ◽  
Jose Rodriguez-Llanes ◽  
Isabelle Aujoulat ◽  
Julita Gil Cuesta ◽  
Hannah Tappis ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 69 (4. ksz.) ◽  
pp. 31-52
Author(s):  
Béla Szilágyi

Migration is the main challenge of the 21st century. With 272 million people migrating in 2019, of whom 80 million people are forcibly displaced worldwide, their security and the security of those living in the destination countries or regions is a major concern. One of the decisive factors in protection and security is the planning and management of the camps where millions of refugees and internally displaced people are hosted, in several cases, for many years. Well planned and well-organized camps do not only provide assistance and ensure the dignity to those displaced, help the effective work of the aid workers, but can also contribute to reducing crime and gender-based violence, furthermore decrease security threats and concerns. This paper examines how migrant settlement options, especially camps can be a tool for upholding the dignity of those in the camp whether they are refugees, internally displaced persons or different kinds of migrants, but at the same time how they can provide the safety and security for both the hosted population and the hosting community. For this very reason, the purpose of a shelter, the advantages and disadvantages of camps, furthermore setting and planning of camps will be discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 6830
Author(s):  
Frederic Noel Kamta ◽  
Janpeter Schilling ◽  
Jürgen Scheffran

For almost two decades, the Lake Chad Basin (LCB) in general and northeast Nigeria in particular have been subject to the insurgency of the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram. This region is also known for its poor environmental conditions that mostly manifest in land desertification and water scarcity. We analyze the impact of the insecurity and conflict on migration from the most affected rural areas of northeast Nigeria to Maiduguri. We also explore the role that water scarcity and land desertification play in the decision of local people to migrate. Data were collected by interviewing 204 internally displaced persons (IDPs) at the Bakassi IDP camp in Maiduguri between March and May 2019. Experts were also interviewed at various governmental, non-governmental, and international institutions in Abuja. Respondents at the Bakassi IDP camp came from Guzamala, Gwoza, Marte, Monguno, and Nganzai. Though insecurity created by the conflict between Boko Haram insurgents and government forces was mentioned by all respondents as the main factor that triggered migration, this study shows that the decision to migrate was also a function of other factors that differ between communities. These factors include the geographical location of the community, land ownership, the socioeconomic status of the migrants, access to water and land, and wealth. This study reveals that in some communities, it was possible for people to live with conflict if they were still able to practice farming or if they had additional sources of income such as small businesses. The decision to migrate was only taken when the practice of such activities was no longer possible and they had nothing to hold on to.


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