By Bridget Ikyado- Tikyaa
The Chairman, Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue, Mr Torsar Ormin, has decried the security challenges and humanitarian crises in the area.
Ormin stated this when he, in the company of Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Mr Aondowase Kunde, and some humanitarian international partners visited some Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Gwer West.
The chairman stated that many citizens of the area had been displaced from their ancestral homes and were taking refuge in IDP camps.
According to him, the people are going through difficult times as they could no longer access their sources of livelihood.
“Feeding remains a serious challenge, and while the state government and donor agencies are doing their best, it is still not enough.
“These people have no other source of livelihood besides the aid provided by the government and other agencies.
“Proper nutrition is crucial for good health, and unfortunately, the health situation is dire.
“Water is another critical issue. The residents told us that they are drinking from a stream, which poses serious health risks.
“The primary healthcare centre here is overwhelmed by the population and appears to be understaffed and lacking adequate medication.
“Additionally, the children are out of school. It’s heartening that the visiting UN team identified this as a major problem,” he said.
Ormin commended Gov. Hyacinth Alia’s efforts to resolve issues of displacement caused by insecurity and to help the people return to their ancestral homes.
The chairman said that Alia’s commitment to the welfare of the IDPs was evident, though more needed to be done.
The Humanitarian Commissioner, Kunde, while interacting with newsmen, said that the visit to camps was to enable the international partners have a feel of the IDP camps in line with the state durable solutions action plan that was finalised on Wednesday.
The commissioner said that the action plan was aimed at providing an enduring solution to the humanitarian challenges currently bedevilling the state.
He said that the governor and government of Benue was committed to returning the IDPs to their ancestral homes.
“The exercise today is the first step in the implementation of the action plan that we have just finalised.
“The partners are here today to see how the plan can be implemented when the governor signs it,” he said.
Ms Mediatrice Barengayabo, Head of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Sub-office in Benue, said that the visit was to afford partners who have not been in the camps to verify what was on the plan.
