MSF unveils emergency aid for 5,000 displaced by Borno violence

Médecins Sans Frontières on Thursday said it has launched an emergency response in northeast Nigeria after fresh violence in Borno State displaced more than 5,000 people, many of whom are now living in dire conditions in Pulka, Gwoza Local Government Area.

The organisation, in a statement, said the displacement followed attacks on March 3 in Ngoshe, a community in Gwoza Local Government Area, which reportedly left several people dead and others abducted, forcing residents to flee with little or no belongings.

According to MSF, the displaced population, largely women, children, and the elderly, has sought refuge in Pulka, about 15 kilometres away, where a lack of shelter has left many families sleeping in open spaces and along streets.

“Our homes were bombed, everything we owned was bombed. We fled to Pulka with almost nothing; we had to leave everything behind and run”, said Safiya Mohammed Aga, a displaced resident from Ngoshe.

In response, MSF said, “It began a four-week emergency intervention on April 10, targeting the most urgent needs of the newly displaced.”

The organisation reported that more than 900 families have received essential non-food items, including cooking utensils, sleeping mats, mosquito nets, jerrycans and buckets.

It added that 884 dignity kits containing menstrual hygiene products, soap and oral hygiene items have also been distributed to vulnerable individuals.

To tackle worsening water and sanitation conditions, MSF said it has started rehabilitating sanitation facilities and is currently delivering about 16,000 litres of safe drinking water daily. Health promotion teams are also carrying out hygiene awareness campaigns to reduce the risk of disease outbreaks.

Despite the intervention, MSF warned that humanitarian needs in Pulka remain overwhelming, particularly in access to food, clean water and sanitation services.

“People urgently need food and improved access to water, sanitation and hygiene services,” said Abdoulaye Mahmoudoune, MSF emergency field coordinator.

“MSF is responding, but we cannot meet these overwhelming needs alone. Families who fled violence are now struggling to survive in extremely precarious conditions. Other humanitarian organisations must urgently step in.”

Northeast Nigeria has faced over a decade of conflict driven largely by insurgent groups such as Boko Haram and its splinter factions, resulting in widespread displacement and a prolonged humanitarian crisis.

Communities in Gwoza LGA have experienced repeated waves of violence and displacement, leaving health facilities overstretched and basic services severely limited. Humanitarian organisations have also warned of declining funding, which continues to constrain relief efforts across the region.

MSF noted that funding gaps and a broader reduction in humanitarian assistance in Borno State are putting critical healthcare and life-saving services at serious risk.

The organisation has been supporting Gwoza General Hospital since August 2025, providing emergency medical care and referrals. It also collaborates with health authorities to deliver maternal and newborn care in Kushari, and runs nutrition programmes in Maiduguri for children under five suffering from acute malnutrition.

MSF called on humanitarian actors to urgently scale up assistance in Pulka—particularly food aid and water, sanitation and hygiene services—and urged donors to increase sustained funding for healthcare in northeast Nigeria.