Three persons have been killed in a fire outbreak that occurred at an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Monguno, Borno State.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed this in a statement on Friday by its Head of Media and Public Relations, Mr Sani Datti.
According to him, the incident occurred on Thursday at the camp which houses nearly 8,000 IDPs.
The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr Edward Kallon, while sympathising with the victims said the fire started in a family cooking area in front of a shelter made of straw, bamboo and plastic sheeting, sweeping through the Stadium Camp.
A fire, that started in a family cooking area in front of a shelter made of straw, bamboo and plastic sheeting, swept through Stadium Camp in Monguno town of Borno State, burned down more than 900 temporary shelters and claimed the lives of at least three people, including two children and one elderly woman. Nearly 8,000 displaced people in the camp – who have been living in extremely overcrowded conditions – have been affected, scrambling to find shelter and forced to sleep out in the open. The blaze destroyed most of their belongings, household items, and food, leaving a majority of the camp’s population in dire need of humanitarian assistance. 7 February 2019. Monguno, Borno State, Nigeria. Photo: Barka Joseph/IOM
