By CEPHAS IORHEMEN

Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, yesterday raised the alarm over the difficulty his administration is facing providing food items for the over one million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) following militia herdsmen attacks and thousands of other refugees camped in eight designated camps across the state.

The governor disclosed this during the distribution of some food items to the IDPs at the headquarters of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in Makurdi, the state capital. Ortom spoke through the Executive Secretary of the agency, Dr. Emmanuel Shior, saying that the humanitarian crisis the state has found itself in was overbearing while seeking the support of the international community and the Federal Government to help address the challenge.

He, however, applauded the support the state is receiving from the Federal Government through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other humanitarian partners which he said has greatly reduced the plight of the victims. “It has not been easy for Benue State government alone to cater for the teeming population of IDPs in the state.

If you look at the cost of food items you will notice that it has escalated as a result of continued attacks on our farming populations. “Buying food from time to time for the IDPs and providing for their other needs is quite expensive. Don’t forget that we are also hosting refugees in Kwande Local Government Area so when you put these together, it is not easy for the state government.” Ortom further said his administration is considering the need to draw the attention of the federal government, the international community and other public spirited individuals to mobilize resources and support to assist the IDPs. He noted that the state has for now rescinded its earlier decision to close the camps to enable IDPs to return to their ancestral homes because the villages, according to him, are still not safe for their return.

He said: “It is difficult to return the IDPs to their ancestral homes because Fulani herdsmen who are attacking the farmers are still occupying their communities”. The governor maintained that he was working in synergy with the North Central Coordinator of NEMA to carry out enumeration of victims of the 2020 flood disaster to provide support for them, expressing optimism that when the intervention comes to fruition, it will impact positively on their lives. (Courtesy Saturday Telegraph)

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