Falmata , a returnee affected by the Boko Haram conflict, shares her experience with CCDRN
July 2018-Falmata Modu, 40, like many other women caught up in the Boko Haram crisis on the Yobe corridor felt the full brunt of the conflict in many unimaginable ways. She had her life shattered with traumatizing effects when, in late 2014, the insurgent group, Boko Haram invaded Katarko community in Gujba and took her away with other women and children deep into Sambisa forest.
Falmata, who now looked very bright and cheerful while she recounted her nightmare, thought it was the end of life for her.
“They came and took us to Sambisa forest with our children. I was weeping all through the journey. We stayed for days without food or water. My concern was my children. It was a very terrible condition. Our children became sick and malnourished. As God will have it the insurgents later took us and left us somewhere in the bush. We walked a very long distance and the military found us and took us to Damaturu. When normalcy returned to our area we found our way back to Gujba.”
Everything has changed when Falmata returned. With their house burnt to the ground and other properties either missing or stolen, life became very difficult.
“Things became difficult when we returned to meet nothing on ground. Our livestock and everything we had were gone. Hunger became the order of the day. We were just managing to survive. My baby that I was breastfeeding was very sick because I don’t have enough breast milk to even breastfeed the baby. My child was looking malnourished”
Lack of quality food and general hunger in the aftermath of the conflict exacerbated the sufferings of many women like Falmata, leading to different health complications. “ I have two young children who were looking very malnourished and sick due to our ordeal in the hands of Boko Haram I could not breastfeed them well because even me I lacked enough breast milk to do that due to hunger. And if you had seen them by them you will definitely pity us “
The Boko Haram conflict impacted negatively on children and women’s health through numerous pathways. Malnutrition occasioned by Boko Haram’s crisis is its most appalling bequest. Cut off from their means of livelihood, women and children living in affected communities are struggling to survive.
The Boko Haram insurgency’s impact on children continues to grow. More than a quarter of them affected by the crisis are under the age of five. However, WFP has been on ground in Yobe vulnerable communities providing assistance to refugees, returnees, IDPs, and the communities that are hosting them. Dedicated nutritional food is being provided on a monthly basis to treat malnourished children under five, and pregnant and nursing women. Falmata is one among many women who are benefitting from this lifesaving intervention
“The intervention has now helped me and my children. My breast milk started flowing normally since I started getting ‘Garin Tamuwa’ (nutritional supplements) and my child gradually recovered as a result of the supplements.”
“One of my children was always sick and very emaciated (with MAM Case) but few weeks of taking the food supplement given to us by WFP, she regained and became very strong. You can see that they (children) are looking very healthy and strong. It is all thanks to the nutritional supplements we are getting from you people (WFP) and we remain grateful.”
The Blanket Supplementary Feeding Programme has Prevented children and mothers from falling into malnutrition and helps those who are malnourished to recover
“We are now healthy and we are pleading with WFP to please increase the ration. This intervention is helping us a lot as we are now spending less on hospitals and drugs for our children.” Says Falmata “The nutritional impact of this supplement on my children and I has been tremendous. It has benefited us a lot. We plead that WFP continue this intervention. Although we don’t have the CBT voucher but we are grateful for this gesture.” She said further.
Gradually, communities are regaining their livelihood and occupation as WFP’s intervention helps to stem the tide of hunger and malnutrition
