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Nigeria

Nigeria: Multi-Sector Needs Assessment, Yobe State - October 2017

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Summary

Despite the increase in number of humanitarian actors responding to the crisis, and the refocusing of relief efforts on vulnerable populations, massive humanitarian needs in north-eastern Nigeria continue to grow as the conditions of civilians displaced by the violent eighth year conflict deteriorate further during the annual rainy season. The conflict between armed opposition groups and Nigerian and regional security forces has resulted in 8.5 million people in urgent need of life-saving assistance in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, the three most affected states in north-eastern Nigeria.

Whereas Borno State hosts the majority of displaced civilians (1.37 million) in north-eastern Nigeria and has witnessed a significant increase in humanitarian presence, the neighbouring states of Adamawa and Yobe, although more stable, remain of humanitarian concern. Due to improved security conditions, these states have seen considerable returns over the past nine months. In Adamawa, while nearly 140,000 remain displaced, more than 666,000 have returned to their pre-displacement locations; Yobe has experienced returns at a lesser scale (90,000) and has a slightly larger displaced population (196,000). Nonetheless, due to a lack of assessments, the understanding of needs and vulnerabilities of affected populations in Adamawa and Yobe remains limited.

Within this context, REACH, in support of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), conducted a Multi-Sector Needs Assessment (MSNA) in Yobe State, with the aim of providing an understanding of needs of the IDP, returnee and non-displaced populations in eight Local Government Areas (LGA) capitals. Findings from the assessment will feed into the process of the 2018 Humanitarian Needs Overview and the Humanitarian Response Plan for Nigeria as well as inform current and future humanitarian programming across Yobe.

The assessment was conducted in accessible LGAs hosting large numbers of IDPs and which had returnee and/or vulnerable non-displaced populations. OCHA and Sector Leads were closely consulted on the design of the assessment methodology and data collection tools. Primary data was collected through a total of 1,593 household surveys, as well as 177 key informant interviews on conditions of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities in schools and health facilities, between 15 September and 9 October 2017. The quantitative household-level assessment produced representative results with a 95% confidence level and a 10% margin of error at population group by LGA. Households from all three population groups (IDPs, returnees and non-displaced) were randomly sampled.