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From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
The Federal Government has declared a state of emergency on the humanitarian needs of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and other persons of concerns in Benue State describing their condition as shocking and unacceptable.
Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Dr Betta Edu has, therefore, directed all development partners in Nigeria to intervene urgently in the humanitarian crisis facing Benue State.
Edu was in Makurdi, the Benue State capital for a 2-day visit, Wednesday and Thursday, to flag off the Renewed Hope Shelter Program for Refugees, the poor and IDPs in the state.
Speaking on Thursday at Ichwa IDP camp, the minister lamented that the situation in the state is highly unacceptable and one requiring emergency intervention.
She posited that the state is sitting on keg of gun powder in terms of humanitarian disaster, wondering how over 14,000 displaced persons including children, women and men are living in shanties.
“We have seen a Benue today in a situation that requires urgent attention. The President asked me to come to intervene in the humanitarian situation. In this camp 0, we have over 14000 women, children and men who are living in shanties that are not up to the width of my hands.
“This is completely unacceptable and we are making a complete demand on every single development partner and we will follow it up to the latter on all of them in Nigeria.
“I feel so heavy in my heart and you have given me sleepless night on how to give solution to what is going on here.
“We are here to build low cost houses two(2) sites at the same time for the displaced persons. It should be a matter of emergency for all agencies and everyone in the humanitarian affair to deploy to Benue. The situation is unacceptable. The state government cannot do it alone. Rather than play around and waste resources, this is where it should be put to use.
“United Nation, UN agencies, everyone in the humanitarian space should be deployed to Benue. Imagine 14000 people and households; 6 people living under these shanties. All development partners should step in. There must be immediate intervention.
“We are making a complete demand on every single development partner and we will follow it up to the latter on all of them in Nigeria. Everyone as a matter of urgency, you must deploy to Benue State and find ways to support them in terms of the health care of the people who are internally displaced because their livelihood have been affected.
“The shelter for them and several other intervention including the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, (WASH) programs and educational learning program. We cannot allow these number of people to be unattended to.”
Edu commended the Governor of Benue State, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, for doing so much for the IDPs already saying, “The Governor is doing a lot but this weight cannot be left to the state.
“The Federal Government is intervening and we want all our international partners everyone to come in as a matter of urgency and intervene, we will be keeping tabs and writing to their international headquarters all around the world and their offices in Nigeria to see that they put boot on ground in Benue State immediately and attend to these people.
“They deserve better, they are Nigerians and we must be able to join hands with Government of Benue State to take care of them. A lot is going on here but we cannot leave this weight on the Government.
“We want to assure the people of Benue that they are at the heart of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and he will do all in his power to resettle them so that they can contribute immensely to his food security agenda and also lift them out of poverty’, the minister said.
Speaking, Benue State Governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, appreciated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for matching words with action on the promise to ensure that IDPs are resettled back to their ancestral homes.
Alia said the Benue people are happy that they are beginning to receive the democratic dividends promised them by the Federal government and expressed the confidence that soon, the IDPs will go back home.
