From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
The Executive Secretary, Benue State Emergency Management Agency, (BSEMA). Sir. James Iorpuu has called for proper documentation of humanitarian partners intending to carry out intervention to Persons of Concern both at the Internally Displaced Persons, (IDP), camps and in the host communities in the state.
Iorpuu stated this when he received Church on the Street, an organisation and Samuel Ioron Foundation in his office at BSEMA headquarters, Makurdi.
He explained that it was necessary to properly document services with his office before visiting camps for intervention for record purposes, and to also avoid duplication of services and a situation where humanitarian interventions are consistently centred on a particular IDP camp.
He appealed to the organisations to expand their humanitarian intervention to cover other IDP camps and communities like Jootar, Ayati, Kyado and Afia in Ukum as well as Agagbe (Gwer West) Ugba and Anyiin in (Logo) Local Government Areas respectively.
The SEMA boss decried the huge challenges facing the Persons of Concern in Benue, saying the Government cannot do it alone because “what we have here is a monumental humanitarian crisis and we need all our support partners to put their foot on the ground in those affected places.”
Earlier, the Research Director of Church on the Street, Atsor Terhemba, said the visit was to seek for approval from BSEMA office to carry out an intervention to IDPs and share the words of God with them while Atomi Mimi, Monitoring team explained that the organisation intends to carry out intervention in education, health WASH and train the IDPs as well as to share period cup (sanitary materials), to women and adolescent girls.
She noted that in 2022, the Church on the Street had placed a mother of twin babies at the Ichwa IDPs camp on a monthly N50,000 for four months and has equally empowered her on business for livelihood support.
She commended Benue state government and especially SEMA for their efforts at caring for the persons of concerns in the state.