Hunger, inadequate shelter, poor sanitation and dwindling humanitarian assistance are worsening the plight of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Benue State, with camp leaders lamenting prolonged gaps in food distribution and growing uncertainty over their welfare.
The hardship comes as the state government says it has spent more than N160 million treating displaced persons for snake bites between March and September, underscoring the healthcare challenges confronting vulnerable communities living in displacement camps.
The Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), James Iorpuu, disclosed the expenditure to journalists on Friday while responding to complaints about conditions in the camps.
Iorpuu said the agency had sustained several interventions, including healthcare services and the distribution of food and non-food relief materials, despite dwindling resources and inadequate support from humanitarian organisations.
He explained that SEMA had facilitated medical treatment for displaced persons at the Benue University Teaching Hospital in Makurdi, spending more than N160 million on snake-bite cases alone during the seven-month period. The agency had also arranged treatment for other serious illnesses and medical emergencies.
However, camp leaders from Agagbe, Daudu and Mega, who spoke anonymously for fear of victimisation, described conditions across the state’s 14 officially recognised camps as severe. They identified irregular food supplies, inadequate shelter, limited healthcare access, poor sanitation and a lack of livelihood opportunities as major challenges facing residents.
One of the leaders alleged that food distribution had become irregular despite assurances that relief materials would be provided monthly.
The leaders further claimed that SEMA summoned them for discussions after learning that displaced persons in Makurdi and Guma were considering a protest over the prolonged absence of food assistance.
They said another food distribution exercise followed the engagement but was insufficient to meet residents’ needs. One leader alleged that about four months had passed since the last distribution, leaving displaced families uncertain about when further assistance would arrive.
Addressing the concerns, Iorpuu said SEMA had continued its monthly food distribution programme but acknowledged that the quantities supplied had reduced significantly because of limited resources and supply constraints.
He also disclosed that the agency was collaborating with humanitarian partners, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), on interventions aimed at resettling displaced persons.
Beyond their immediate welfare concerns, camp leaders said their greatest wish was to return to their ancestral communities. However, persistent insecurity continues to prevent many from returning home permanently.
Some displaced persons from areas where hostilities have subsided have reportedly begun making periodic trips to their communities to engage in economic activities and provide for their families, although a lasting return remains uncertain.
Meanwhile, Iorpuu dismissed claims that the proposed protest was primarily motivated by food shortages, alleging that some individuals were encouraging the demonstration in response to restrictions on visits to the camps.
The conflicting accounts highlight the continuing humanitarian challenges facing displaced communities in Benue, where families remain caught between difficult living conditions in the camps and the security risks preventing their safe return home.
