By Bridget Tikyaa
Benue State government says it is giving support to 179,975 registered Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in different parts of the state in partnership with some development partners.
The state government further said that the support is aimed at helping the IDPs to have hope and rebuild their lives.
The state has also allocated acres of land to construct 4,000 emergency shelters to resettle IDPs living in three camps across the state.
Mr Aondoaseer Leonard-Angelo Viashima, Director-General,
Benue State Bureau for International Cooperation and Development, made this known in Makurdi to mark the World Humanitarian Day 2024.
He said in addition, the state is also hosting 9,318 Cameroonian refugees displaced from the anglophone communities bordering the country.
Aondoaseer explained that there has been a strong bond between the state government and relevant humanitarian organisations such as the International Organisation on Migration, UNICEF, UNHCR, and NCFRMI.
He explained that the day was set aside to appraise the difficulties of the most vulnerable men, women, and children displaced in camps and host communities, listen to their heartbreaking stories, so as to continue to support them as they transition to stabilisation and full recovery.
According to him, the day is also an opportunity for everyone to renew their commitment to alleviating the suffering of IDPs and other vulnerable people, including women and children.
He recalled that IOM has since 2016 being engaged “through one of our tools, Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM),” which in August 2023, in collaboration with BSEMA, UNHCR, NCFRMI, facilitated the biometric registration of IDPs in Benue state, of which so far, 179,975 IDPs residing in camps and host communities across six Local Government Areas were documented.
He , however , said although not all the IDPs were covered, but the effort has provided verifiable data for government and humanitarian organisations, as progress continues in coordination with SEMA to reach the remaining IDPs in the state.
“Through the process, gaps identified went beyond just providing aid but restoring hope, rebuilding lives, and supporting those who have been most affected.
“Most of them are women, children, and the elderly. They have been living in the IDP camps of Benue State since their displacement and are solely dependent on humanitarian aid for food, shelter, and clothing.
“In the camps, IOM has been and is working tirelessly to provide support where it is most needed.
“We have distributed 12,000 hygiene kits and over 2,300 non-food items to displaced families across 10 camps.
“Our water, sanitation, and hygiene team has rehabilitated the water tanks in Baka Camp and is currently constructing a four-kilometre water pipeline and constructing a treatment plant to end decades of water scarcity in ORTESE.
“From protection to shelter construction and site improvements, we are ensuring that families have the essentials to survive and maintain their dignity during these challenging times,” he explained.
According to him, the IOM has gone beyond humanitarian intervention, by localizing operations through the recruitment of indigenous people to support humanitarian activities in Benue State.
He said : ” Today IOM employees 99 staff of which 80% are indigenous. The cars we are hiring for all our movements, as of the first of August, we are using a local vendor from Benue.
“All these were made possible, thanks to the RRF project that responded to the IDPS across 10 camps in Guma and Makurdi LGAs.”
The Director-General said that these efforts have been acknowledged by the UNHCR, including the hosting of the 9,318 Cameroonian refugees.
He said since 2017, UNHCR has been providing protection services in Benue, including monitoring, facilitating access to justice, collaborating with partners like the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Save the Children International, Rhemacare, and the Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu Foundation to provide health care, education, water and sanitation.
“In July 2024, 32,439 IDPs received core relief items, and 3,000 women and girls received dignity kits among other support that our sister, UNHCR, provided.
“Your excellency, WHO implements routine immunization intensification and enhanced surveillance for outbreak prone diseases across all the IDP camps as well as in host communities with considerable number of IDPs in the state.
“This ensures timely detection and response to outbreaks, with success recorded for Lassa fever and measles outbreaks that were effectively contained earlier this year.
“WHO has also supported in building capacities of the 75 frontline healthcare workers from 25 PHCs on first aid response to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence,” he added.
Aondoaseer said that the Bureau in collaboration with UNICEF and WHO also trained 136 healthcare workers working in IDP camps on integrated service delivery to vulnerable populations, as well as implementing an integrated medical outreach programme with clinical consultation and provision of free medical care in Guma, Makurdi and Gwer West, where on average 4,000 IDPs per month receive free services.
“Furthermore, WHO supported BNSHIA to conduct data capture of over 12, 000 potential health insurance enrollees, with about five thousand already enrolled into BHCPF, while the remaining seven thousand are ready for enrolment once State Health Equity Fund/BHCPF Counterpart Fund is released.”
The Director-General said UNICEF has been active in addressing humanitarian needs, focusing this year on “Acts of Humanity” to support displaced women and children in Benue State.
Aondoaseer said over the years, UNICEF has worked closely with Benue State to support displaced and vulnerable populations.
This, he said, enabled UNICEF to enhance healthcare in IDP camps, taking care of over 20,000 individuals, provided antenatal care for 2, 201 pregnant women, and vaccinated 5,128 children.
In the area of nutrition, it screened 1,178,478 under-five children for malnutrition and promoted exclusive breastfeeding and good feeding practices.
He added that UNICEF also installed solar-powered boreholes and toilets, benefiting over 4,500 people, and improved fecal disposal for more than 4,800 individuals.
It also supported over 7,000 pre-school children and 15,000 in the Nigeria Learning Passport, provided tablets to schools, and set up an educational recording studio.
On Child Protection and Gender-Based Violence, he said that UNICEF and government had implemented safety initiatives in IDP camps, trained case workers, and offered mental health support to 1,250 children.
“Additionally, 268,459 children’s births were registered in 2023,” he added.
He appreciated the allocation of land to construct more than 4,000 emergency shelters to host ICHWA, Baka, and NEPA quarters IDPs.
This, he said : “will mark the closure of these named camps.
“This was possible through the coordination with the commission of Humanitarian affairs and disaster management, through the ministry of land and survey, BSEMA as well as BICD.”
Aondoaseer, however, said in spite of the successes, challenges still persist.
He listed the challenges to include coordination issues, funding delays, and shortages of essential supplies.
“We urge greater involvement from the state government to overcome these obstacles and continue supporting affected populations.
“We appreciate the Benue State Government’s efforts and call for continued collective action to address the humanitarian crisis,” he said.
*Bridget Tikyaa
Is the Principal Special Assistance to the Governor on Media, Publicity and Communication Strategy*
(vitalnewsngr.com)
