Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State says his administration is committed to addressing the root causes of insecurity with a view to finding sustainable solutions to the ongoing displacement crisis in the State.
Governor Alia stated this on Thursday at the Old Banquet Hall of Government House in Makurdi when he received the Regional Director of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Paolo Pace and the Nigerian Head of the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), Alexandre Castello, during their working visit to the State.
According to him, the state was in the lead of displacement in Nigeria’s North Central region with approximately 1.5 million residents displaced due to persistent insecurity.
The governor further revealed that over 500,000 displaced individuals were currently residing in 26 internally Displaced Persons ( IDPs) camps across the state, a populations that was grappling with inadequate access to water, healthcare, shelter and security.
Highlighting his administration’s efforts to alleviate the plights of IDPs , Governor Alia noted that several achievements including the enrollment of over 6,000 individuals from 15 IDP camps into the state health insurance scheme, allocation of more than 70 hectares of land for shelters to restore dignity to the displaced population and collaborative initiatives with international partners like IOM, USAID, and other donor agencies.
Speaking further, Alia disclosed that to promote harmony between the IDPs and their host communities, the state government was providing agricultural tools and training to encourage self-sufficiency, adding that the efforts were aimed at enhancing food security, building livelihoods and improving market access for farmers.
“In education, displaced children and youths are receiving access to learning opportunities within the camps, while on security, over 5,000 civil protection guards have been deployed in partnership with conventional security agencies to ensure the safety of camp residents,” the Governor stated.
He, therefore called for stronger collaboration between the state government and donor agencies to improve shelter, sanitation, healthcare services, agricultural support, education, and camp management even as he emphasised his administration’s long-term goal of returning displaced persons to their ancestral homes and restoring normalcy.
The governor assured of his resolve to providing basic services and attaining sustainable solutions to the IDP crisis, saying that with the steadfast support of partners like IOM and ECHO, they were illuminating a bright path for a greater future for the State.
In her remarks, Paolo Pace, the IOM Mission Chief, commended the state government’s proactive measures to addressing the challenges faced by IDPs and expressed hope for the restoration of peace in the region.
She assured the governor of IOM’s commitment to supporting the IDPs and partnering with the government for impactful humanitarian interventions.
On his part, Alexandre Castello, Head of ECHO in Nigeria, emphasised the importance of collaboration and efficient use of humanitarian funds, calling for coordinated efforts to deliver technical expertise and alleviate the humanitarian crisis.
Earlier in his remarks, Benue State Commissioner for Humanitarian and Disaster Management, Hon Aondowase Kunde, highlighted the negative impact of farmer-herder clashes on Benue’s food security and economy.
He, therefore reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to providing emergency relief, medical aid and capacity-building programmes to restoring hope and dignity to the affected communities.
The Voice reports that Governor Alia led the delegation on a visit to some of the IDP in order to gain a better understanding of the conditions faced by the displaced people.
