COVID-19 communication and information flow in hard-to- reach areas of Borno state, Nigeria. Accessibility and Assessment Coverage2: June - July 2020 CONTEXT AND INTRODUCTION KEY FINDINGS The continuation of conflict in Northeast Nigeria has created a complex • Findings suggest that information on COVID-19 has reached humanitarian crisis, rendering sections of Borno state as hard-to-reach H2R areas in Borno state to various extents. People from H2R (H2R) for humanitarian actors. Previous assessments illustrate how the settlements in Bama seemed to have received less information conflict continues to have severe consequences for people in H2R areas. (general information and COVID-19 specific information) In addition, the insecure situation, compounded by the general lack of compared to other assessed LGAs. In addition, across assessed access to basic services and infrastructure, leaves people living in H2R LGAs, women had reportedly less access to information than areas highly vulnerable to (the impact of) COVID-19. men. Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, communication on • Of the information received about COVID-19, the majority of KIs prevention, symptoms, and when to seek medical care is critical to reduce mentioned people in the settlements knew about the consequences transmission and mortality rates. Yet, particularly in H2R areas in Borno of the virus (primarily death). However, with a reported need state, access to means and sources of information is likely to be severely for information about prevention and treatment, these findings limited. Although assessments conducted by REACH have indicated an might highlight an information gap, indicating that COVID-19 increase in COVID-19 related knowledge among people living in H2R specific information does not consistently reach H2R areas. areas, findings also show that options to communicate with people in H2R areas are incredibly limited, preventing the circulation of COVID-19 • Radio was a commonly reported source of information 2 information. To strengthen the evidence base on how information that also seemed to be generally trusted by people in H2R (particularly related to COVID-19) is accessed, understood, and used settlements. However, several KIs reported that radios were by people living in Borno’s H2R areas, REACH conducted a qualitative prohibited in their settlements, raising concerns about adequate assessment on communication and information sharing from June to July access to information for people in those settlements. Although 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. radios were reported to be generally trusted, a considerable number of KIs reported that people did not trust COVID-19 This brief is divided into two sections. The first section describe the types specific information they received, regardless of whether the of information (general and COVID-19 specific) reportedly received by information was received via the radio or through other sources people living in H2R settlements as well as information needs, trust and of information. sources of information. Following from this, the second section focuses on how people in H2R settlements reportedly used COVID-19 specific • Besides a reported need for more COVID-19 specific information, particularly how they may have changed their behaviour on information, most KIs mentioned a general need for more the basis of the information they received. information, especially about how to safely leave the H2R settlements and how to access food and other basic services. The findings presented in this brief are derived from 30 in-depth interviews with key informants (KIs) from H2R settlements in Adabam, • Overall, many KIs described the context in which people live Bama, Damboa, and Gwoza local government areas (LGAs). Findings to be more pressing than the COVID-19 pandemic, which might are indicative only of the lived experiences of people in these settlements. indicate that practicing preventive measures is not always a high For additional information on the sampling strategy and methodology, priority for people in settlements facing resources stress. please refer to the Terms of Reference and the dedicated “Methodology note” on page 5. • Findings indicated that when people did receive COVID-19 Map 1: Areas assessed specific information, many of them adapted their behaviour to some extent, trying to protect themselves from getting infected. Niger Abadam Chad Mobbar Kukawa Guzamala Gubio ”They said there is a disease that is killing people, Monguno Nganzai Marte Nigerians, (it) is killing them” Yobe Borno Magumeri Ngala “... (it) is killing them all, you will just die. There is no Jere Mafa Kala/Balge Dikwa Maiduguri male, female, children, adult, old and young, it kills Kaga Konduga Bama all... and there is no cure.“ Gwoza Damboa Cameroon Quote by Female KI from Gwoza (between 18 and 35 years old) Chibok Biu describing the information people in H2R settlements had received Askira/Uba Kwaya Kusar about COVID-19. Hawul Gombe Bayo Shani Adamawa State boundary Unassessed LGA's Assessed LGA's For more information on this brief, please contact Informing [email protected] more effective REACH humanitarian action COVID-19 communication and information flow in hard-to- reach areas of Borno state, Nigeria. June - July 2020 1 INFORMATION FLOW AND NEEDS The majority of KIs (18) described that people in the H2R settlements had received information about the consequences of COVID-19 and 17 KIs 1.1 INFORMATION RECEIVED reported that people were commonly aware that death was a potential consequence (see quote above). Information about COVID-19 related All KIs (30) across all LGAs mentioned that people in the H2R settlements consequences were mostly described by KIs from Gwoza and Bama (14). received some kind of information. Overall, the KIs mentioned 10 different kinds of information, which primarily included information related to Some KIs (14) also mentioned that people in the settlements had received conditions outside the settlements, serving as possible pull or push information about COVID-19 prevention. It was primarily KIs from factors for leaving the settlements. In this regard, the majority of the Damboa and Abadam that mentioned that people in their settlements KIs (mentioned by 21 KIs) reported that people in H2R settlements had had received information about COVID-19 prevention, which included received information about services provided in camps and garrison information about isolation of sick people, covering of eyes and mouth towns. Around half of KIs (16) mentioned that people had received (9) and frequent hand-washing (11). A few KIs (3) from Abadam further information on how to leave the H2R settlements, including risks and mentioned that people in the H2R settlements had heard that they should benefits associated with leaving. Benefits included an assurance that wear masks and gloves. None of the KIs from Bama reported that people people could leave the settlement without getting harmed (6), whereas had received information about symptoms, whereas information about risks included information that people leaving the settlements would be symptoms was mentioned by at least one KI from all other LGAs (9). killed, imprisoned or separated from their family members (10). Some The information reportedly received about symptoms included fever (5), KIs (5), most of whom reported on H2R settlements in Gwoza, mentioned coughing (6) and cold related symptoms such as sneezing (4). that people in H2R settlements had received information about both risks and benefits of leaving the settlement. This contrast could indicate 1.2 INFORMATION NEEDS a difference in the information received within the settlements but could In addition to the information received by people living in H2R areas, KIs also illustrate the uncertainty and shifting context in H2R settlements in were asked about people’s information needs. Similar to the reported Gwoza impacting the information shared about leaving the settlements. information reportedly received by people in H2R areas, the information needs mentioned by most KIs included information about how to leave Interestingly, 19 KIs also mentioned that people in the H2R settlement the settlement (18) and information about humanitarian assistance (13). had received information about a new infectious disease in the garrison Compared to Adabam and Damboa, a relatively high number of KIs in towns, and although not every KI was able to name the disease, it seemed Gwoza (7) and Bama (8) reported information needs related to how to clear to be COVID-19 (see quote below). leave the H2R settlements, which might indicate a strained situation and perceived difficulties migrating from H2R settlements in these specific LGAs. “Yes, the information... a disease... it’s name is… me too I don’t know... it started in china, it is just killing Potentially reflecting people’s concerns and the ongoing conflict, some people…that too, was explained to us.” KIs (9) reported people’s biggest information need to be information Female KI, between 18 and 35 years old, Gwoza about peace. In addition, a few KIs (7) also mentioned that people in the settlements had a desire to get information about the condition of relatives Almost half (12) of the KIs across all LGAs mentioned that different in garrison towns and other settlements. population groups had different level of access to information. As illustrated in the quote below, this primarily included women not having When KIs were asked directly if