The Benue State Government has spent over N160m treating internally displaced persons for snake bites in six months, the Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency, James Iorpuu, has said.
Iorpuu disclosed this to journalists on Friday while reacting to complaints by some IDPs about their welfare in the state.
He said the agency had taken several steps to support the displaced persons through healthcare services and the distribution of food and non-food items.
Speaking on healthcare services for IDPs, Iorpuu said that, in the absence of adequate support from humanitarian partners, the state government, through SEMA, had arranged for them to receive treatment at the Benue University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi.
“Through this arrangement, this agency has spent more than N160m on healthcare interventions between March and September for snake bites alone,” he said.
He added that the agency had also ensured that displaced persons received medical attention for serious illnesses and emergency conditions.
The SEMA boss said the agency had sustained its monthly food distribution to IDPs despite dwindling resources and difficulties in meeting their needs.
He explained that the agency previously distributed substantial quantities of food monthly, but the available supplies had reduced significantly.
Iorpuu added that SEMA was working with humanitarian partners, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, on resettlement-related interventions.
However, some leaders of IDP camps in the state expressed concern about the welfare of displaced persons across the 14 officially recognised camps.
The leaders of the Agagbe, Daudu and Mega camps, who spoke to journalists on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation, described the challenges facing residents as severe and multifaceted.
They listed irregular food distribution, lack of livelihoods, unsafe homes, inadequate shelter, poor sanitation, gaps in healthcare and limited humanitarian support among their concerns.
One of the camp leaders said food distribution to IDPs had become irregular despite government promises to provide relief materials monthly.
The leaders also alleged that the Benue State Emergency Management Agency had summoned them for discussions after learning that displaced persons in Makurdi and Guma were considering a protest over the prolonged absence of food assistance.
“Following the engagement, another food distribution was eventually carried out, although it was insufficient compared with the needs of the population. But since the last distribution about four months ago, we have not heard of anything again,” one of the leaders said.
The camp leaders said their major concern was the opportunity to return safely to their ancestral communities, noting that some areas remained unsafe.
“What we are crying for now is how to leave the camp and return to our ancestral homes. Unfortunately, some of those communities are still not safe,” one of them said.
They added that some displaced persons from communities where hostilities had reduced had begun returning periodically to engage in economic activities and support their families.
Meanwhile, Iorpuu dismissed claims that a planned protest by IDPs was motivated by food shortages, alleging that some individuals had encouraged the demonstration over restrictions on visits to the camps.