From Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
As a way of ameliorating the sufferings currently facing Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), the Benue government has distributed food and non-food relief materials to the IDPs, refugees, and other persons of concern in the state.
The state Commissioner for Humanitarian and Disaster Management, Hon. Kunde Aondowase, and the Executive Secretary, of State Emergency Management Agency, (SEMA), Sir James Iorpuu, in a joint news briefing in Makurdi, yesterday, said that Governor Hyacinth Alia had provided 18,714 relief materials to be distributed to IDPs in the state for the month of September.
According to them, the governor also directed that the relief materials should be extended to orphanages and rehabilitation homes in the state.
Giving a breakdown, Aondowase said: “We are distributing 5,118 bags of 25kg rice, 3,580 bags of 25kg beans, 2050 bags of garri, 4010 cartons of noodles, 321 gallons of 25litres of groundnut oil, 180 gallons of 20 liters of red oil, 414 bags of Maggi, 359 bags of salt and 254 bags of sugar.”
They told newsmen that for the first time in the state, the governor also approved that the relief materials be sent to an orphange home, Mama Abayol, the rehabilitation centre in Apir, School of Special Needs, Aliade, Gwer LGA and the one in Vandeikya LGA as well as the host communities of the refugees in Ikyogen, Kwande LGA of the state.
Also speaking, the SEMA boss, Iorpuu noted with pain that after their last food distribution, they were told some IDPs sold part of the food given to them to enable them to purchase detergents and other items.
He said having known their needs further, “we are distributing 914 cartons of soap, 872 cartons of detergent.”
The SEMA boss who noted that SEMA discovered that most of the IDPs did not have beds while in the camp said the government was also distributing 600 mattresses to them in various camps.
He appreciated Governor Alia for his ongoing plans to finally resettle the IDPs and give them proper care while they are still in the camp.
“We are happy to have a man who loves to do good to humanity. What we are distributing today is the usual monthly good to IDPs not the palliatives and it is not for the public but the displaced persons,” he said.
He acknowledged the anxiety of residents over the sharing of the Federal Government palliatives, assuring that they would be shared in a very transparent way.
Meanwhile, the Humanitarian Commissioner has disclosed that the state government in conjunction with the International Organization for Migration, (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, (UNHCR), are in the field to collate data for a verifiable database for the IDPs in the state.