A decade of trauma and a journey to healing

Maiduguri, 07 March, 2025 – Fatima Ibrahim (name changed) was accurate a exiguous one when her world was torn apart. At age 10, she was abducted for the duration of a violent raid on her village in Bama, Borno State. What followed was a decade of unimaginable hardship and suffering.

Now 20 and a mother of one, Fatima is taking the first steps toward reclaiming her life. 

A decade of darkness

Fatima’s years in captivity were marked by fear, violence, and profound isolation, enduring each psychological and physical trauma, leaving her scarred. Her eventual release introduced reduction however also unusual struggles. In addition to emotional damage, she suffered from a extreme gynaecological situation, manifesting as a nasty-smelling discharge and vaginal prolapse—complications that significantly impacted her quality of life. With medical care and psychosocial reinforce equipped by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other humanitarian health partners, Fatima is gradually discovering hope and healing.

“I lost hope many times,” Fatima recalled. “I believed I would by no means search for my family again or really feel safe,” she shared with a trembling express when speaking to the WHO-supported Hard-to-Reach Cellular Health Team at the Malkohi Internally Displaced Individuals (IDP) Camp in Adamawa State, where she had sought refuge.

Referral and the road to healing

Fatima required immediate, specialised medical attention. Recognising the severity of her situation, the WHO health team promptly referred her case to the WHO Gender-Based Violence (GBV) focal person in Yola, initiating a coordinated response among partners and organisations to stable her treatment and rehabilitation.

The International Committee of the Crimson Ghastly (ICRC) covered the prices of Fatima’s medical treatment. At the same time, the Neems Foundation equipped critical assistance, together with meals and transportation, guaranteeing she may point of interest on her restoration without additional burdens. She underwent surgical contrivance to address her gynaecological complications and purchased steady psychosocial reinforce to aid her emotional restoration.

With funding from the European Union Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), WHO has played a crucial position in delivering essential medical and psychological reinforce to vulnerable populations affected by humanitarian crises. These collaborative efforts be certain that survivors of battle and gender-based violence, care for Fatima, receive comprehensive and tailored care.

By addressing physical and psychological health, WHO and its partners are constructing pathways for survivors to regain their dignity and access essential health services and products in challenging environments.

A lifeline of reinforce
In Adamawa State, WHO—supported by the European Price (ECHO)—has labored alongside the state executive to train and deploy seven teams of hard-to-reach healthcare staff, comprising nurses, community health extension staff, and other essential cadres. These teams operate across 17 local executive areas, delivering vital healthcare and psychosocial services and products to vulnerable communities.

Isaac Kadala, a health official in Adamawa State, recommended WHO’s unwavering dedication to equitable healthcare access, emphasising the organisation’s leadership in GBV response and psychosocial training for frontline health staff.
“WHO’s interventions, together with joint supportive supervision across health facilities, have reinforced our capacity to present grand-wanted services and products to affected populations,” he famed, reaffirming the state’s dedication to persisted collaboration with WHO and its partners.

Sustaining humanitarian action
“WHO’s interventions, on this case, and many others, align with our Nation Cooperation Strategy IV (CCSIV), which prioritises addressing the health wants of vulnerable populations amid humanitarian crises. By providing comprehensive care, we be certain that no one is left at the back of in accessing essential health services and products,” said Dr Kumshida Yakubu Balami, WHO’s Acting Emergency Manager for Northeast Nigeria’s Humanitarian Health Emergency Response.

Dr Balami emphasised that Fatima’s story serves as a critical reminder of the want for sustained investments in survivor-centred healthcare and psychosocial reinforce for victims of gender-based violence.

In 2024 alone, WHO’s interventions reached over 161 405 vulnerable individuals in Adamawa State, particularly those residing in IDP camps and far flung areas, providing essential medical and psychosocial reinforce.

Fatima’s journey illustrates the profound impact of humanitarian health interventions on battle-affected populations. However, her story also underscores an urgent call for persisted global and local commitments to supporting survivors of gender-based violence and investing in comprehensive, accessible healthcare services and products for probably the most vulnerable.