Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has distributed food items to all internally-displaced persons (IDPs) in the state.
The agency’s Executive Secretary, Dr Emmanuel Shior, made the distribution on Wednesday at its headquarters in Makurdi.
He said that the agency had also requested for security beef-up at all IDP camps across the state.
Shior said that SEMA would be distributing a total of 4,800 bags of rice, 3,000 cartons of Indomine noodles, 205 gallons of palm oil, 300 bags of salt, beans and other condiments.
He said that the agency was carrying out massive distribution of food items to more than 15 official and unofficial camps in Guma, Makurdi, Kwande, Logo, Agatu and Otukpo local government areas.
The executive secretary stressed the need for tightening up security at the IDP camps, especially now that some border communities in the neightbouring Nasarawa State were being attacked.
“We are giving all the official and unofficial camps food items, and the camps are: Abagena, Daudu 1&3, Ukpam, Gbajimba 1&2, Ortese, Udei, Naka, Aondona, Agagba, and some in Kwande, Agatu and Otukpo
.
“We are giving a total of 4,800 bags of rice, 3,000 cartons of Indomine noodles, 205 gallons of palm oil, 300 bags of salt and other condiments,” he said.
Shior said that it was not the intention of the state government to continue keeping the IDPs in the camps, adding that the security challenges that forced them out of their ancestral homes still remained unabated.
He further disclosed that the Church of Christ of the Later Day Saints had also donated bags of rice, beans and gari for onward distribution to the IDPs.
Shior also said that more than 1.5 million people were living in the over 15 IDP camps across the state, adding that the figures were usually verified and validated by both NGOs and relevant government agencies in the country. (NAN)
