Life in Nigerian IDP Camps: Displaced Women Endure Extreme Heat, Overcrowding, and Health Risks in Sokoto State
Displaced women in Sokoto State, Nigeria, are enduring unbearable conditions in informal IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camps, where extreme heat, overcrowding, and lack of basic amenities make daily life a struggle for survival. Fatima Abdullahi, a 36-year-old nursing mother, described the heat as “feeling like dying,” recalling fainting episodes caused by prolonged exposure to high temperatures.
Many displaced families fled violence in Yobe, Zamfara, and Kebbi states, seeking refuge in Sabon Birni, where public schools, motor parks, and abandoned buildings serve as makeshift shelters. These spaces, never designed for habitation, are overcrowded—often housing over fifty people per room—exacerbating heat stress, dehydration, and health challenges.
Pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children face particularly severe risks. Medical experts warn that exposure to extreme heat increases the likelihood of heatstroke, cardiovascular and respiratory distress, and adverse pregnancy outcomes such as stillbirth, low birth weight, and developmental defects.
Sokoto’s climate, already harsh with daytime temperatures above 40°C for much of the year, is worsening due to climate change. Rising temperatures and frequent heatwaves strain public health, energy supply, and overall quality of life. IDP residents often lack electricity, fans, proper ventilation, and privacy, forcing them to rely on improvised measures like hand fans and repeated bathing, which provide limited relief.
Experts call for urgent interventions, including relocation to climate-resilient housing, improved ventilation, access to cooling systems, and shade creation, to protect the most vulnerable residents from the intensifying effects of heat.
This story highlights the intersection of displacement, climate change, and public health, underscoring the urgent need for systemic solutions to safeguard women, children, and pregnant individuals living in Nigeria’s IDP camps.
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