By Peter Duru, Makurdi

The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, has donated essential medicines and medical supplies to the Benue state government for humanitarian response in the state.

The UNICEF Health Specialist for Benue State, Dr. Ifeyinwa Anyanyo who handed the cartons of drug to the Benue State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Yanmar Ortese, Thursday in Makurdi on behalf of the global organisation said the drugs would support the state government cater for the health needs of persons displaced from their homes.

She said: “These are drugs, medical supplies, that will support the humanitarian response in the state.

“Our heart goes out to thousands of the people that have been dislocated from their homes because of the crisis in the state and on behalf of UNICEF, please accept these donations from us and we hope that it will go a long way in addressing the health challenges in the state and also mitigating the impact of these disruptions and dislocations of people from their homes.”

Receiving the drugs on behalf of the state government, Dr. Ortese, lauded UNICEF for its unending support to the state to impact the lives of the people.

While describing the global organisation as a worthy partner, the Health Commissioner recall that “earlier in the year, UNICEF built and donated a health clinic at Daudu to the state government.

“And today we are witnessing another intervention by UNICEF for our IDPs and persons of concern in the IDPs camps aside other interventions in the state. “

Dr. Ortese assured UNICEF that the Ministry of Health would ensure that the drugs would be used for the purpose they were donated.

He pointed out that the administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia had also taken steps to ensure improvement in drug supplies in the state, saying “the quality of drugs in the state is one key area the Governor wants to be improved on.

“We have already started and sponsored a bill at the State Assembly for the drug management agency. With that it will enable us build the remaining stores at Apir in the nearest future.

The Commissioner appealed to UNICEF and other partners to support and assist the state government in actualizing the dream for the good of all residents and the IDPs.

He also assured that the state government was working tirelessly with the Federal Government, security agencies, UNICEF and other development partners to actualise the return of Benue IDPs back to their ancestral homes.

Also, the Executive Secretary of the Benue State Primary Health Care Board, BSPHCB, Mrs. Ashi Wende, explained that the donation from UNICEF were essential drugs for ailments that do not require surgery, including skin diseases, pneumonia, malaria, diarrhea, headache, pain among others.

She said “these are illnesses that commonly affect the wellbeing of our people at the IDPs camps and others who are not resident in well designed shelters.”

On her part, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Beatrice Tsavmbu assured that the workforce in the Ministry would ensure that the donation by UNICEF got to target beneficiaries.