Benue IDPs Lament: “We Are Starving and Dying”
Benue IDPs Lament: “We Are Starving and Dying”
Displaced residents of Yelwata community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, who fled after coordinated attacks by suspected armed herders, on Thursday staged a protest over the poor living conditions in their temporary camp.
The internally displaced persons (IDPs), currently sheltered at the International Market in Makurdi, took to the streets and blocked all major access roads leading to the camp, located along George Akume Way, to express their frustration and dissatisfaction with the treatment they have received since arriving at the facility.
The IDPs accused state government officials of diverting relief materials donated to them by public spirited individuals and humanitarian organisations, a development, they said had brought untold hardship to them.
One of the IDPs who identified himself as Fidelis Igban from Yelwata community in the camp as a result of starvation and bad condition of the environment.
He said, “Imagine, people would come to the camp and donate food items and other relief materials to us(IDPs), and once those items were handed over to the officials, it will end up not reaching us.
“Just few days ago, secretary to the government of the federation, Senator George Akume came to the camp and donated some items for onward distribution to IDPs. Up till now, we have not seen anything.
The Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Dr. Paul Enenche, came here and donated materials for our consumption, yet nothing gets to us. We are starving and dying here. We want to go back to our homes.
“We are running away from our comfort homes due to herdsmen attacks after our parents, children and wives were killed and now, we are here facing another critical challenges.
There’s no food, our children are starving, we sleep on the floor, and mosquitoes are almost killing us. We are suffering, and people are dying. officials overseeing camp management were hoarding and diverting donated materials.
Also speaking, Erdoo Targa, said that she was six months pregnant before arriving at the camp and find it difficult to access medical facilities.
“Government brought us here and abandoned us. No food, no medical care, hunger is telling us, we are starving and our children are getting sick day by day”.
We embarked on this protest to draw the attention of government and public spirited individuals to our plight”, she said.
She appealed to the State Government and relevant humanitarian agencies to investigate the alleged misconduct and ensure transparency in the distribution of aid meant for us.
Attempts to reach the Commissioner for Humanitarian and Disaster Management, Aondoaseer Kude, and the Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Dr. James Iorpuu, were unsuccessful, as calls and text messages went unanswered.
However, SEMA’s Information Officer, Tema Ager, declined to comment on the situation, stating he was not authorised to speak on the matter.
“Kindly contact the Head of Administration at SEMA or the Commissioner for Humanitarian and Disaster Management. They are in a better position to address journalists. Thank you,” Ager said.
