A human rights organisation, Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP), has decried increased cases of sexual and gender-based violence in exchange for food and water in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps and host communities in Northern Nigeria.
Pamela Okoroigwe, senior programme manager, LEDAP, disclosed this while presenting the report of its findings on the impact of Boko Haram conflict on the sexual and reproductive health right of women and girls in the region, at a media parley in Abuja.
Okoroigwe said the conflict has also resulted in high incidence of forced/child marriage and transmitted infections. She said the report was an analysis of information collected from hundreds of respondents in Borno, Adamawa, Yobe and the FCT.
Okoroigwe further explained that access to material care services including skilled birth attendants and essential medicines is a key barrier for the women in the IDP camps and host communities.
“Interviews in all the interview locations spoke about the experiences of invasion by Boko Haram. Many had been raped by the group and lost their pregnancies as a result.
“Those who did not ultimately gave birth without any skilled attendance while camped out on the roads, while seeking shelter underneath trees, in abandoned buildings and in military detention centres. Many suffered severe maternal injuries and others died”, she said.
“Additionally, the report reveals that there is also a dearth of supporting mechanisms and processes to ensure accountability for sexual and reproductive health violations. Several women and girls, including pregnant women were raped, more often than not in the presence of their children, and may contacted HIV after their experiences,” she added.
The programme manager regretted that these victims were yet to get justice for the recurring Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of Women (SRHR) in the camps.
