Nigeria, The Widows' house

 Residents of a so-called widows' house in Banki, Borno State, north-east Nigeria, sit with their children. In Banki, many women who have become separated from their husbands during the Boko Haram related conflict feel safer living together. They now live in groups in the town’s semi-destroyed houses, along with their children, while waiting to find out if their husbands are still alive.  The Nigerian military has recently regained control of the town of Banki after it was seized and destroyed by Boko Haram in 2014. UNICEF and partners are working to support vulnerable families living in Banki and other areas affected by the crisis.

With the constant arrival of people, it's difficult to accurately determine how many people live here. According to the local camp management, there's at least 20,000 displaced people now living in Banki – and the true figure could be more than twice as high.

Displaced families aren't living in tents in Banki, rather they have sought shelter in the town's semi-destroyed buildings. Most don't have roofs and the walls still bear the scars of  battle. In some houses, groups of widowed women are pooling resources. The so-called 'widows' houses' are home to women who were separated from their husbands during the conflict, or whose husbands have been kidnapped or killed by Boko Haram. Many feel safer living together, along with their children.

As they wait to see if their husbands will return, the women make do as best they can. Some try to earn a small income through dressmaking, others get on with daily chores like pounding maize for meals or chopping firewood for use in cooking. In one widows' house we meet 18-year-old Yagana*. She used to live in a small village outside Banki with her husband and new baby Falti. The family decided to flee over the border to Cameroon because of the ongoing fighting. But while they were trying to get there, they were ambushed by Boko Haram.

"As we were fleeing, Boko Haram stopped us," she says. "They beat my husband and took him away." Yagana later found out through friends that Boko Haram had shot and killed her husband. When Banki was liberated, Yagana decided to come back to Nigeria, but she is still haunted by memories. "I keep dreaming about my husband," she explains. "Life is difficult without him, I can't get him out of my mind." For now, the future for Yagana and her baby is uncertain, but at least they have found some security here in Banki. "I used to feel scared all the time. But at least now, I feel safe," she says

 Source: UNICEF Nigeria.