CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS & PROJECT MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE 2022 · Vol. 2022, Issue 1

A comparative assessment of the sanitary facilities in IDP camps with UNHCR and SPHERE standard provision

Emmanuel I. Nkeleme, Asabe H. Mshelbara, Winston Shakantu and Ikem Mbamali

Keywords: Sanitary facilities, IDP camps, UNHCR, and SPHERE standards

Abstract

World Health Organisation (WHO) asserts that lack of sanitation contributes to about 10% of global disease burden. With over 2.1 million Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigerian, the provision of adequate and functional sanitary facilities to hygienically separate excreta from human contact and reduce the pathogen load in the ambient environment, and in the interruption of the transmission of the pathogens in the IDP camps is important. The research against all odds sought to do a comparative assessment of the sanitary facilities in the IDP camps with the UNHCR and SPHERE standard provisions. Twelve (12) out of the sixteen (16) official camps were assessed using of a structured checklist based on the UNHCR and SPHERE standards. Water samples from the camps were subjected to physical, chemical and bacteriological analysis in Maiduguri NAFDAC laboratory. The research revealed among others that water provision is inadequate for the IDPs. Also, the distance travelled, and time spent at a fetching point is none conforming to both SPHERE and UNHCR standards. The laboratory finding for water quality assessment indicates that there is the presence of physical, biological, and chemical contaminants harmful to health. The research findings from the camp defy the standard provisions for IDPs in both UNHCR and SPHERE. The research recommends that the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development needs to enforce strict compliance with the humanitarian standards in the Nigerian national policy on internally displaced persons in Nigeria to enhance better life of the IDPs in camps.