..urges deepend engagement with IOM, ECHO, others to tackle humanitarian challenge

By Peter Duru, Makurdi

Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has raised concern over the humanitarian situation in the state lamenting that the state currently shelters over 500,182 Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs.

Quoting the International Organization for Migration, IOM, Displacement Tracking Matrix, DTM, report of June 2024, the Governor said the figure represents 38 percent of the displaced population in the North Central region.

The Governor stated this Thursday when he received the IOM Chief of Mission, Paola Pace and the Head of Office of the
European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, ECHO, Alexandre Castellano and their delegation in Makurdi.

He said “Benue State, renowned as the ‘Food Basket of the Nation,’ has unfortunately been at the forefront of displacement crises in Nigeria’s North-Central region. Since 2018, over 1.5million individuals have been compelled to abandon their homes due to communal conflicts, often stemming from competition over scarce natural resources, and exacerbated by environmental adversities such as flooding, fires, and droughts.

“As per the IOM DTM report of June 2024, our state currently shelters 500,182 displaced persons, accounting for 38 percent of the displaced population in this region. These individuals are dispersed across 26 camps and 185 host communities, enduring conditions that are far from ideal.

“They grapple with inadequate shelter, limited access to clean water and sanitation, insufficient healthcare services, and a lack of robust protection mechanisms. Such hardships have precipitated detrimental coping strategies, including early marriages, transactional activities, and reduced food intake, disproportionately affecting women, children, and persons with disabilities. These challenges, while daunting, serve as a clarion call for collective action and innovative solutions.”

While emphasising his administration’s unwavering dedication to addressing the root causes of displacement and fostering sustainable solutions, the Governor regretted that the attacks had persisted and affecting the populace noting that the recent attacks affected “over 1,000 households between December 29 to date according to DTM latest report.”

He called for the deepening of the state’s engagement with the IOM, ECHO and other partners as well as stakeholders to tackle the humanitarian challenges in the state.

While commending the team for the visit, the Governor said their presence in the state underscored the international community’s steadfast commitment to collaborating with his administration in addressing the multifaceted humanitarian challenges facing the state.

He noted that his government had continue to provide necessary support to the displaced persons urging for more interventions from the partners pointing to specific areas where such intervention would be impactful including upgrading facilities and constructing emergency shelters to provide safe and dignified living conditions for the displaced.

He also listed invaluable interventions in the areas of water and sanitation, education as well as camp management among others.

The IOM Chief of Mission pledged the organisation’s continued partnership with Benue state emphasizing that “we will continue working in Benue because we are conscious of the needs of the state.”

The Chief expressed optimism that the state would enjoy peace in the year 2025 and beyond.

Also, the ECHO Head of Office who expressed the commitment of the organisation to working with the state government noted that humanitarian crisis could occur in any part of the world and would require joint partnership and the commitment of all to effectively tackle them.