By Grace Samuel
In the Muna Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp near Maiduguri, Borno State, a desperate struggle for survival unfolds between humans and ants.
Displaced individuals, facing hunger and scarcity, have resorted to sending their wives into the surrounding bushes to dig ant holes in search of grains to feed their families.
While a few husbands accompany their wives in the scramble for grains alongside the ants, the majority remain at the camp.
These men are often too aged, weak, or fragile to venture into the bushes or the metropolis for menial jobs. Instead, they wait anxiously for their wives to return with whatever quantity of grains they manage to pick or sift from the dirt inside the antholes.
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In a heartbreaking turn of events, the women at the IDP camp are now gathering leaves from various edible desert plants. They do whatever it takes to prepare even the semblance of a meal for their families. The situation has reached a critical point, exacerbated by the current wave of economic hardship.
Governor Babagana Zulum has been distributing food aid across the state to mitigate the impact, but the sheer scale of need overwhelms available resources
For the past nine years, IDPs in Borno—whether in official or non-official camps or host communities—have relied on government assistance.
Programs like the Presidential Standing Committee on North-East Initiative, led by then-Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and Borno SEMA’s food distribution initiatives, supported by UN agencies like the World Food Programme (WFP) and international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), have sustained them.
Even with the relocation of many IDPs to camps closer to their ancestral communities, Borno remains a state heavily populated by displaced individuals.
This dire situation highlights the resilience and resourcefulness of those facing unimaginable hardships. As we acknowledge their struggle, it is crucial to continue supporting humanitarian efforts to alleviate hunger and provide sustenance to those in need.
