Internally displaced persons left with nothing but the clothes on their backs after raging fires rip through two camps leaving victims in desperate need of humanitarian aid.

Two young children – a girl aged two and a boy aged five – have died in separate fire outbreaks in internally displaced persons’ camps in Borno State.

Residents from one of the biggest IDP camps, the Garken Block camp in the Fariya community of the Jere Local Government Area, are begging Almighty Allah for mercy – especially during the holy month of Ramadan – after a fire swept through the camp on Monday, March 18.

A five-year-old boy died in the fire which spread quickly because of a strong wind.

Only five or six homes of the 1,525 thatch houses and tents remained intact. Most of the residents were left homeless, without food and clothes. Belongings worth thousands were destroyed.

The camp is home to displaced people originally from the Marte, Monguno and Mafa local government areas.

Bashir Jibril, one of the more than 1,500 victims of the fire, told RNI that the blaze broke out at about 3pm on Monday.

“It spread very quickly, within seconds, because of the strong wind. Only five or six homes are left. All the others were burnt to ashes.

“A little boy died. His guardians are distraught. Luckily, no one else died and no one was burnt.

“But we are all suffering. The fire has caused a serious humanitarian crisis. Just about all of us have been left with nothing. We do not have food, shelters and clothes.

“We do not know how the fire started. It is Ramadan and we are fasting. But we have no homes and we have nothing to eat when we break the fast at sunset.

“On behalf of the residents, I am begging the government and non-governmental organisations [NGOs] to support us. We are hoping that some philanthropists in the community will take pity on us and provide humanitarian assistance to help cushion the hardship we are experiencing.”

Abubakar Yaisaye said many men, women and children were now homeless.

“People in the camp are grieving for the boy but the fire was destined by Almighty Allah and we believe in destiny. For some reason it was meant to happen.

“Even though the fire service reacted quickly and firefighters got to the camp soon after the outbreak, the blaze moved swiftly because there was an extremely strong wind. Within minutes the camp was engulfed. Thatch houses and tents burnt to the ground. Firefighters were unable to control or stop the fire. Most people lost all their possessions.

“We are in dire need of humanitarian assistance from government, NGOs and God-fearing individuals. May Allah have mercy on us.”

On Sunday, March 17, a two-year-old girl lost her life in a fire that broke out at the Water Board IDP camp in Borno State’s Monguno Local Government Area.

Water Board is the biggest IDP camp in Monguno where thousands of displaced persons are taking refuge.

The fire razed about 1,000 houses, destroying property worth thousands of naira.

Baba Gana Bukar Kori, assistant manager of the Monguno chapter of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), told RNI that the fire started at about 11am in the camp, razing at least 1,000 shelters. A hospital in the camp went up in smoke. A few houses in Monguno town were burnt, as were a school and some local government buildings.

“A young displaced girl died in the fire, which was blazing out of control. It began in the camp. More than 1,000 thatch houses and tents were burnt to the ground. The fire spread to the town and destroyed the Federal Government Girls’ College Monguno, part of the local government secretariat and some houses.

“Most of the people in the camp are homeless; they lost everything in the fire except the clothes they were wearing. This is the worst and most destructive fire that has ever broken out in Monguno.

“Based on our assessment, the fire destroyed properties worth millions of naira, including two vehicles which were burnt to ashes.

“Some livestock, mostly goats and sheep belonging to displaced persons, also died in the fire.

“The fire engulfed a hospital in the camp that was being run by Action Against Hunger.”

Kori said displaced – and now homeless again – people faced many challenges.

“They have no shelters, mats, mattresses, food or clothes. They urgently need assistance to ameliorate their suffering, especially now when it is Ramadan. I am urging the government, NGOs and any wealthy philanthropists to fast-track humanitarian aid to these people. They are in dire need.”

Kallamu Modu Mintar, a councillor of the Mintar ward of Monguno Local Government Area, told RNI that the fire could not have come at a worse time, it being Ramadan.

He described the situation at Water Board IDP camp as “disastrous” because residents had lost everything they owned.

“We, with the chairman of the Monguno Local Government Area and fellow authorities, visited the scene of the fire and we assessed the damage.

“We are calling on victims to exercise patience as it’s an act of God.

“We will do our best with everything in our power to ensure that the humanitarian crisis that is affecting the victims is addressed as soon as possible.”

Action Against Hunger is a global non-profit humanitarian organisation that acts against the causes and effects of hunger.

SHETTIMA LAWAN MONGUNO