By Muhammad Auwal

Mr Sa’ad Bello, the Coordinator, Adamawa/
Taraba National Emergency Management Agency
(NEMA), on Friday, said there were currently less
than 10,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)
in Adamawa camps.
Bello told the News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) in
Yola that there were, however, about
170,000 IDPs residing in host communities
across the state.
He said that “there is significant reduction of
IDPs living in camps in the state; the number
reduced from over 60,000 to less than 10,000.
“At the peak of the insurgency, the agency
recorded over 480,000 IDPs residing in host
communities but now, there are about 170,000
IDPs living within the host communities.”
The coordinator explained that the departure of
many IDPs from camps led to closure of four
camps out of the nine in the state.
On IDPs feeding and accommodation, he said it
was being handled by NEMA, in collaboration
with other humanitarian agencies.
He said each camp also had a clinic, where the
IDPs were being attended to, while those with
serious ailments were being referred to Yola
Specialist Hospital or the Federal Medical
Centre, Yola.
“We also provide children with educational
centre’s such as primary and Junior Secondary
Schools.”
He noted that food and non-food items like
mattresses, blankets, mosquito nets, were also
given to IDPs, as NEMA was also responsible for
water supply in all designated camps in the
state.
He said the agency also encouraged the IDPs in
various camps to organise a group for daily,
week-end and monthly sanitation of their rooms
and surroundings to ensure hygienic
environment.
He said IDPs had the right to move in and out of
the camp because they had the right to interact
with outside communities “but after obtaining a
pass.
“The IDPs have right to move in and out of the
camps, but before they move, they must be
screened thoroughly by security operatives
manning the camps.
“The security in the camps usually provide gate
pass for any IDP that wants to go out for
security reasons.”