Safe Water for Displaced Kids in Northern, Nigeria

For thousands of children returning home after years of displacement in Benue State, Nigeria, peace has not yet brought safety. Families who fled brutal farmer-herder violence are rebuilding their lives in communities like Ortese, but they have returned to a heartbreaking reality: their water sources have either been destroyed or contaminated.

Every morning, young children walk with their mothers to collect water from unsafe streams and stagnant ponds because there is simply no alternative. This water, often shared with livestock and contaminated by runoff, exposes children to deadly diseases including cholera, typhoid fever, diarrhoea, dysentery, and intestinal parasites. For many families, the choice is not between clean water and dirty water—it is between unsafe water and no water at all.

Children under five bear the greatest burden. A simple drink of water can become the beginning of a life-threatening illness, causing missed school days, malnutrition, and, in some cases, preventable deaths. Something as basic as turning on a tap remains an impossible dream for many of these communities.

At GoGreen Environmental Health Sustainability Initiatives, we believe that no child should have to risk their life just to quench their thirst. Our project is restoring access to safe, clean water by rehabilitating damaged boreholes, installing sustainable water systems, and promoting hygiene education that protects entire communities from waterborne diseases.

But the need is far greater than our current resources can meet.

Today, you have the opportunity to change this story. Your generous donation will provide children with safe drinking water, reduce the spread of preventable diseases, improve school attendance, and give families the dignity and hope they deserve as they rebuild their lives.

Clean water is more than a basic necessity—it is the foundation of health, education, and recovery. Together, we can ensure that every child returns home not only to safety, but also to a healthier future.

The humanitarian crisis in Ortese Community reflects the broader challenges confronting conflict-affected populations across Benue State. Years of violent conflict have devastated essential infrastructure and severely reduced access to safe drinking water, exposing thousands of vulnerable children and families to preventable disease, displacement, and extreme hardship.

Nigeria remains one of the countries with the highest burden of people lacking access to safely managed drinking water services. According to UNICEF and the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP), millions of Nigerians continue to rely on unimproved or contaminated water sources, particularly in rural and conflict-affected areas where infrastructure has been destroyed or neglected. Water insecurity remains one of the leading contributors to diarrhea disease, malnutrition, and child mortality.

In Benue State, humanitarian conditions have deteriorated significantly as conflict continues to displace communities. International humanitarian agencies estimate that more than 500,000 internally displaced persons are living across the state following repeated attacks and insecurity, placing enormous pressure on already overstretched public services and basic infrastructure.

The situation in Guma LGA remains particularly critical. Conflict continues to trigger repeated displacement into communities such as Ortese, where many households have returned only to find damaged water systems and limited access to essential services. Humanitarian assessments consistently identify WASH as one of the highest-priority unmet needs for newly displaced and returning populations.

Your support will help these displaced kids have access to safe and clean drinking water.