At least 34,457 have been killed and 1.8 million people displaced in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states due to Boko Haram insurgency between 2009 and early 2020, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has said.
The UNDP in its 2020 report titled: ‘Assessing the Impact of Conflict on Development in North-east Nigeria’, said the insurgency has also crippled development across various sectors in the region.
It said aside almost 35,000 direct fatalities recorded due to insurgency, there have been hundreds of thousands of people who have died over causes indirectly related to conflict in the north-east.
“Insurgent violence and terrorism carried out by Boko Haram and Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) remain the major driver of insecurity across north-eastern Nigeria and the Lake Chad region,” the report reads.
“The effects of the insurgency and the persistence of insecurity are inseparable from the region’s pre-existing socio-economic deprivation and harsh environmental conditions.
“The BAY states, Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, were not only some of the poorest states in the country prior to conflict, but they also continue to bear the brunt of its effects.
“As of 31 July 2020, conflict has directly resulted in 34,457 deaths in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states since the beginning of 2009.
“Conflict can also increase mortality indirectly. For example, destroyed health infrastructure and degraded living conditions can lead to increased deaths from disease and hunger. To our knowledge, there have been no prior efforts to estimate the number of indirect deaths from this conflict.
“Boko Haram attacks have led to massive internal displacement. More than 1.8 million Nigerians are displaced in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states, with the vast majority (nearly 1.5 million) located in Borno.
“In camps and host communities, IDPs often live in poor conditions and lack access to adequate food and services.”
The UN agency also said the insurgency in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe led to an intense level of poverty in Nigeria.
“As of 2019, 81 percent of people living in Yobe, 64 percent in Borno, and 60 percent in Adamawa suffer from multidimensional poverty, a measure that accounts for deprivation with respect to standards of living, health, and education.”
On its effects on children’s health and education, the agency said “over 920,000 children in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe are estimated to have global acute malnutrition (GAM), while over 288,000 have severe acute malnutrition (SAM).
“Insecurity has also rendered 85 percent of Borno territory inaccessible to humanitarian agencies, constraining the ability to provide aid.
“Conflict has been especially damaging to education, as schools have been targeted directly by insurgents.
“In 2020, we estimate that 1.8 million students are out of school who would have been enrolled if not for conflict.”
