THE PLIGHTS OF FEMALE INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDPS) IN BORNO STATE: THE RESPONSE CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (CAN).

Résumé

Displacement of individuals, especially females in Borno State, North East of Nigeria has become a serious social problem. This ugly situation which is caused mainly by the activities of islamist Jihadists, Fulani herdsmen and armed bandits has led to many humanitarian crises faced by female IDPs in Jerusalem IDP camp, Zabarmari IDP camp, Muna Dati IDP camp, Ethiopia IDP camp and Teachers’ village IDP camp. These kismetic and ineluctable predicaments experienced by female IDPs include: sexual abuses, human rights abuse, sexual violence, silent treatment environmental racism, hunger and starvation, blacklisting, health issues, educational marginalization and social ostracism. In view of these prevailing circumstances, this paper investigated the response of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and other Christian Charities in attending to the humanitarian crises faced by female IDPs in the selected camps within the study area. The study made use of observer as participant ethnographic method. The study made use of two data collection techniques which were qualitative and quantitative in nature in order to arrive at a conclusion. The data generated from the survey were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS). The study leaned on the human needs theory. The research results revealed that Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and other Christian charity organizations have done commendably well. This is indicated by 98.1% response. The study concludes that since female IDPs face various forms of humanitarian challenges in the selected IDP camps, the response of CAN is timely and should be intensified and that if the basic tenets of the human needs theory are identified and applied, their crises would be reduce drastically.