By Isaac Kertyo, Makurdi
Benue State Emergency Management Agency, BSEMA, has called for more support from the International Donors to assist in building shelters for the Internally Displaced Persons.
The Executive Secretary of BSEMA, Mr James Iorpuu, who made this call at the agency’s headquarters in Makurdi, during distribution of relief materials to the IDPs, said that the situation is beyond the capacity of Benue State Government to handle alone.
“Our basic challenge now is shelter. We are so worried about the situation in Agagbe and Ichua camps, so we are appealing that those who want to assist us should come and build shelters for us.
Development Partners are helping us, like Doctors Without Borders. They have built shelters in Ortese and Daudu camp one. They are also drilling bore holes at the Ortese camp currently, but they should come and help us build shelters in Agagbe Ichua and Anyiin camps .”
According to the BSEMA Boss, there are new Internally Displaced Persons in the new camps in Ukum Local Government Area, explaining that due to the aforementioned challenges, the children have been thrown out of school because public schools in the area have been occupied by the IDPs.
The Executive Secretary maintained that the State Government has established new IDP camps in Ukum Local Government Area, Rehabilitation Center, Mama Abayol Orphanage Home among others.
Mr Iorpuu, disclosed that the agency has distributed food and non food items to the 17 IDP camps across the state. These include; 4,200 bags of rice, 2,370 bags of gari, 4,155 cartons of indimie, 324 gallons of grand nut oil, 100 mattresses to the Ugba camp, 50 mattresses to the Ayati camp, 200 cooking gas each to the displaced persons camps.
Others are; 191 gallons of red oil, 433 cartons of magi, 363 bags of sugar, 266 bags of salt. He said NEMA has donated items such as rappers, blankets, Children’s wears, men’s wears, adding that the materials have been distributed to the IDP camps across the state.
