Benue State Emergency Management Agency, BSEMA, has hailed the United Nations Population Fund Activities, UNFPA, for joining forces with Benue State Government and other partners to address the dire humanitarian needs in the conflict-affected Benue State.
It said the process of returning Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, to their ancestral communities has commenced.
This was disclosed by the Acting Executive Secretary of BSEMA, James Iorpuu on Tuesday when he led a delegation of UNFPA on the needs assessment of IDP camps, Anyiin in Logo Local Government Area.
The visit followed the recent official trip by Sir Iorpuu to Maiduguri two weeks ago, during which he engaged UNFPA and other support partners on the need to shift their interventions to support the government in finding solutions to the problems of IDPs.
Iorpuu assured the IDPs of Governor Hyacinth Alia’s fervent efforts to save lives, help stabilize the IDPs situation, rebuild lives and communities through the joint effort of the federal government, and international as well as local partners.
He said by the governor’s genuine and practical steps, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR, and the International Organisation for Migration, IOM, have shifted their entire structures to Benue State.
Addressing the IDPs, the UNFPA team lead and Humanitarian Coordinator Mr Christian Macaulay Sabum said the visit was to get first-hand testimonies from people affected by the Farmers/herders crisis following an invitation by the Benue State Government through Benue SEMA.
“We are here today to understand the humanitarian situation of Benue and to appropriately respond to the need of IDPs”
He said that the UNFPA will ensure that the rights of women and girls especially, in Benue State are respected, ensure zero sexual and Gender-Based Violence, women’s safe delivery, protection services, mental health services, psychosocial support and real productive health care services like antenatal among others.
