After years in a temporary shelter, a family finds a more permanent home

Nigeria | 2023 | CBPF

Nigeria, Adamawa state. Ibrahim Agah, 65, has lived in what was supposed to be ‘emergency shelter’ in Malkohi, in north-east Nigeria’s Adamawa State, for almost a decade.

In 2013, he and his wife Hadiza sought refuge in Malkohi with their three children following a Boko Haram attack on their village. Boko Haram set fire to all the houses. The family fled into the darkness with nothing but their lives. They hid in the wilderness before travelling to the relative safety of Malkohi.

After nearly a decade in temporary housing, Ibrahim and his family will again have a home to call their own. Through a durable solutions project run by the International Organization for Migration, with funding from the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund, they will live in one of 215 newly constructed shelters, with private latrine and showers. Solar streetlamps and portable household solar lanterns will provide lighting, and there is easy access to the market, school and the health centre.

The Nigeria Humanitarian Fund (NHF) is supporting similar projects elsewhere. In neighboring Labondo, 37-year-old Hauwa and her daughter sell home-cooked food to support their family. Hauwa says it has not been easy to provide for her children since she was widowed years before. Hauwa and about 450 other displaced and vulnerable families will benefit from new shelters provided through a pilot UNHCR project, also supported by the NHF.

The aim of durable solutions is to take a ‘big picture’ look at what vulnerable people need for their well-being. This might include shelter, livelihoods, water, sanitation and hygiene, or safety, education, health care and more. NHF funds durable solutions with the aim of supporting displaced people so that they can resume their lives and livelihoods, and move on from temporary assistance.

More information on the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund:

OCHA- POOLED FUNDS DATA HUB – By Country (unocha.org)

‍