…. seeks portable water, sanitation, and child protection support
By: Babagana Bukar Wakil, Maiduguri
In a bid to deepen its humanitarian impact and strengthen community recovery efforts in flood-ravaged areas of Borno State, SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria SOSCVN has convened a Humanitarian Response Town Hall meeting in Maiduguri.
The event, held at Amanda Annex along Circular Road, brought together displaced families, community leaders, youth and women representatives, government stakeholders to review emergency response interventions and chart a sustainable path forward.
Speaking in a statement , Mr. Eghosa Erhumwunse, National Director of SOSCVN, said the initiative forms part of a broader strategy to protect and empower vulnerable children and families affected by climate-induced emergencies. He recalled the devastating flash floods that followed the collapse of the Alau Dam on September 9, 2024 an incident that displaced over 400,000 people and impacted more than one million others across Borno State.
He noted that SOSCVN reached 800 households comprising 9,000 direct beneficiaries across the flood-affected communities. Both conditional and unconditional cash transfers were provided to the 800 households within the four communities of Galadima, Muna Abari, Gangamari/Shehuri North, and Elmoskim II in Jere and Maiduguri metropolis.
In communities s in Jere , families were still grappling with the impact of years of armed conflict when the floods struck. Homes were swept away, livelihoods destroyed, and access to basic services severely disrupted,” Erhumwunse noted.
In response, SOSCVN provided displaced households with relief items, trauma-informed psychosocial support for children, cash assistance to enhance food security, and education kits to enable continuity in learning. The organization also launched long-term interventions including youth entrepreneurship training and vocational support for caregivers.
“Beneficiaries received startup kits and direct grants to rebuild small businesses and restore lost livelihoods. However, this town hall allows us to hear directly from the communities their needs, their feedback, and their ideas for rebuilding in a more resilient and inclusive way,” the National Director said.
Several community members shared their lived experiences and appealed for continued support.
Bulama Modu from Gangamari described the flood’s massive impact, lamenting how water channels were blocked and children’s education was disrupted. He thanked SOSCVN and the Borno State Government for their intervention, saying it had brought relief and renewed hope.
Another community leader raised concerns over water scarcity and worsening hygiene conditions, noting that residents spend up to ₦1,500 per trip for water, sometimes twice daily. He called for urgent investment in potable water supply and improved sanitation infrastructure.
From Almeskin II , Aisha expressed worries over open defecation, attributing it to the insufficient number of toilet facilities and boreholes. “One of the major causes of rampant open defecation is that children and even the elderly don’t have regular access to toilets,” she said.
In response to these concerns, SOSCVN announced plans to provide three solar-powered boreholes and five segregated toilet blocks for men and women across four communities: Galadima, Abba-Ganaram, Muna, and Almeskin II spanning Maiduguri Metropolitan and Jere Local Government Areas.
Zara Muhammed, a young lady from Almeskin II, described her community’s ordeal during the flood, which she said left families without food, clean water, and exposed them to disease outbreaks. “Sometimes we have the money but cannot find water to buy we have to go all the way to Abbahanaram,” she said.
Maryam Ali Kellu, who represented the Borno State Agency for Coordination of Sustainable Development and Humanitarian Response, urged residents to take personal responsibility for environmental hygiene, especially in shared compounds. “Even if your neighbor won’t clean, do it for your safety and the safety of others,” she advised.
Another participant, Bintu Mustapha from Muna, praised the SOSCVN support, revealing that she had used her package for household repairs and small business investment. However, she and others also appealed for improved water access and drainage systems.
Yakaka Mohammed from Gangamari emphasized the need for more boreholes, saying the single one in the area serves the entire community. She and community leader Bulama reiterated the need for tools lost to the flood including wheelbarrows, hoes, and rakes to support environmental cleanup and sanitation.
A beneficiary also raised concerns about rising cases of child abuse in the area, citing increased vulnerability among children due to poverty. She appealed for targeted child protection measures and community-based interventions.
SOSCVN assured participants that their feedback would guide further programming. The organization reaffirmed its commitment to building resilient, safe, and inclusive communities through partnerships with government agencies, civil society, and affected populations.
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