The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has donated the sum of $1.1 million (₦1.69 billion) to support Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Benue.
The Deputy Director-General (DDG) of IOM, Ugochi Daniels, who announced the donation during a condolence visit to the state on Wednesday in Makurdi, said the support was specifically targeted at IDPs in Yelewata and Naka.
Daniels explained that the donation formed part of IOM’s efforts to support the Benue Government in returning IDPs to their ancestral homes with dignity.
“The IOM’s support is part of a larger initiative to find durable solutions for IDPs, including helping them return to their places of origin or resettle in new locations.
“We are always ready to collaborate with the state government to return the IDPs to their ancestral homes or resettle them in new locations of their choice,” Daniels declared.
The DDG urged the government and stakeholders to prioritise peacebuilding in order to address the humanitarian needs of the state, stressing that development could only thrive in an atmosphere of peace.
She noted that IOM had been actively involved in providing support to IDPs in Benue in areas such as shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene services, as well as resettlement and livelihood opportunities.
Receiving the donation, Governor Hyacinth Alia also pledged USD 50,000 on behalf of the state government as a contribution to IOM’s efforts to dignify the lives of IDPs.
Alia said the state government was proud of its partnership with IOM, adding: “The organisation has helped the government to operate in coordination by introducing biometric registration of IDPs.
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“IOM’s constant support for Benue IDPs has transformed vulnerability into resilience. I commend the organisation for also constructing a mega camp that provided dignified shelter for the IDPs.”
The governor, who expressed concern over the high number of IDPs in camps, noted that many of them were women and children.
He stressed that Benue needed a strengthened partnership to enable the displaced persons to either return home or integrate into new communities of their choice.
“We are engaging relevant stakeholders to ensure their safe return home because that has been my dream from the onset of my administration.
“Also, through the response we are getting, I can say that IDPs will soon return to their ancestral homes,” Alia said.
The DDG also visited the International Market IDP Camp (Mega Camp) to assure the displaced persons that they had not been forgotten.
