A Non Governmental Organisation has refuted claims by Medicne San Frontiers MSF that thirty people die daily from hunger and illness at an IDP camp in Borno, hinting that such claims are exaggerated.
The NGO is insisting that the Borno State Government has been the one responsible for the evacuation, treatment and feeding of about 1,800 severely malnourished children.
MSF had reported 16 severely malnourished children in the IDP camp at immediate risk of death and that about six people died daily from malnutrition with numbers rising to about thirty on some days.
But a Local NGO, given scant recognition in the MSF report, is challenging the international organisation on how it came about such alarming figures.
Founder of the NGO Modupe Ozolua whose pictures on Social Media gave credence to MSF’s story believes the international organisation has been economical with the truth and insists MSF was not responsible for the discovery of cases of severe malnutrition in Bama as it claims.
Rather Ms Ozolua claims that not only did her Local organization discover the malnourished children, they had brought it to the notice of the Borno state Governor Kashim Shettima who promptly ordered the evacuation of the malnourished children from Bama to Maiduguri where the state Government provided a place for them to be treated.
Ozolua says it was only after the first evacuation of malnourished children to Maiduguri that Medecins Sans Frontiers was called in by the Borno State Governor to help in treatment of the children.
Ozolua also insists that her NGO was also involved in the second evacuation of identified severely malnourished children organized by the Borno state government and is at a loss as to how MSF came about its head count and information that a lot of people die daily in the camps from severe malnutrition.
Meanwhile, the report is causing waves in Government circles with sources saying President Buhari is displeased at reports of malnourished children dying in IDP camps despite massive contributions from the Federal Government and private concerns, for the feeding and care of IDPs.