An Internally Displaced Person (IDP) is someone forced to flee their home due to armed conflict, generalized violence, human rights violations, or natural disasters, but who has not crossed an internationally recognized state border. Unlike refugees, IDPs remain under the legal protection of their own government, even when that government struggles to provide assistance. In Nigeria, internal displacement is driven by several distinct factors:
Displacement strips individuals of their normal support systems, leaving specific demographic groups at extreme risk of poor health outcomes. Women and children make up the vast majority of camp populations. Pregnant women face severe risks due to a lack of antenatal care, unhygienic delivery conditions, and high rates of gender-based violence. Children suffer disproportionately from acute malnutrition, vaccine-preventable diseases, and developmental delays caused by chronic stress. Older adults and individuals with pre-existing chronic illnesses like hypertension or diabetes struggle because routine medications are rarely available or affordable in emergency settings. Nurses must recognize that vulnerability in IDP camps is dynamic, driven by poverty, lack of privacy, and power imbalances within the camp layout.
Overcrowded living conditions, poor sanitation, and compromised water supplies create fertile ground for communicable disease outbreaks in IDP camps. Diarrheal diseases such as cholera and acute gastroenteritis spread rapidly when safe drinking water is scarce. Respiratory infections thrive in poorly ventilated temporary shelters. Vector-borne diseases like malaria surge during rainy seasons due to stagnant water around makeshift tents. Measles outbreaks frequently sweep through camps with low routine immunization coverage among newly arrived children. Skin infections, including scabies and fungal conditions, reflect inadequate bathing facilities and personal hygiene supplies. Environmental health management is therefore just as critical as clinical treatment for community health nurses working in these settings.
Conducting health assessments in displacement settings requires adaptability and cultural sensitivity. Nurses must quickly establish rapport with camp leaders to gain community entry and trust. Rapid needs assessments focus on identifying environmental hazards, nutritional status using Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) tapes for children, and tracking reportable communicable diseases. Triage systems must be set up at temporary health posts to prioritize severely ill patients, trauma victims, and pregnant women in distress. Documentation is often challenging due to paper shortages and rapid population movement, making simple, standardized tally sheets essential for tracking disease trends over time.
Delivering effective care in IDP camps relies on primary health care principles: community participation, intersectoral collaboration, and equitable access to essential services. Mobile health clinics bridge the gap when permanent health infrastructure is destroyed or out of reach. Vaccination campaigns must target newly arrived cohorts immediately to maintain herd immunity against polio, measles, and meningitis. Nutritional stabilization corners within clinics manage severe acute malnutrition with therapeutic foods. Nurses also train and empower community health volunteers chosen from among the displaced population to promote hygiene, report illness early, and distribute basic treatment supplies under supervision.
Displacement inflicts severe psychological trauma. Survivors witness violence, lose family members, and experience the sudden destruction of their livelihoods. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and severe anxiety are widespread among both adults and children. Psychological First Aid (PFA) is the frontline intervention, focusing on safety, calming, connection, and practical support rather than formal psychotherapy. Community health nurses must recognize somatic complaints—such as chronic headaches, body pains, and fatigue—as frequent physical manifestations of underlying emotional distress. Referral pathways to psychiatric services must be established for severe mental health conditions, while peer support groups help reduce isolation and foster resilience within the camp.
No single health agency can manage the complex needs of an IDP camp alone. Effective response requires coordination between the Ministry of Health, the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), and international bodies like the UNHCR and UNICEF. Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) sectors must collaborate with health teams to prevent waterborne disease outbreaks. Security agencies ensure the physical safety of displaced populations and aid workers. From a policy perspective, understanding frameworks like the Kampala Convention guides nurses in advocating for the rights, protection, and humane treatment of displaced persons across Nigeria.