UNHCR donates relief materials worth N18.5m to Benue IDPs

The United Nations Human Rights Commission on Refugees (UNCHR) has donated relief materials worth N18.5 million to the International market camp, housing some of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Makurdi.

Our correspondent reports that the materials comprised 2,700 blankets, 5,400 sanitary pads, 1,080 solar lanterns, 2,700 women undies, 5,400 antiseptics, 5,400 detergents and 540 mattresses.

It was also reported on Thursday that the items were the largest donation from a donor agency since the flood.

In a speech, while handing over the materials to the government of Benue on Thursday in Makurdi, the Head of UNHCR in Benue, Mr Samuel Agwa, said the commission was making the donation to support the government in providing relief to the victims.

He said the commission and the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Civil Society Organisations and other stakeholders worked out the sharing formula for the materials.

Agwa said based on the decision of government to close the camps, UNHCR together with other stakeholders in the management of relief materials in the state agreed to share 30 per cent of the materials to IDPs at the camp, while the remaining 70 per cent would be shared to those outside the camp.

He explained that the commission was using available statistics of flood victims generated by SEMA and the civil society organisations to share donated items to victims.

He said the items were worth N18.5 million.

The UNHCR representative said his commission was relying on available statistics generated by SEMA and the civil society groups to share the relief materials to victims.

He assured that materials would be shared according to the needs of the victims, explaining that pregnant women would be treated differently from the aged and children.

He said bulk SMS would be sent to victims, who would be expected to respond to them within 78 hours upon receipt, to come for the collection of their materials.

Receiving the materials on behalf of the Benue Government, the Deputy Gov. Mr Benson Abounu, said no camp in the state had been closed.

He described the announcement of the closure of IDP camps in the state as “an act of mischief”.

”Nobody gave any instruction to that effect; the camps are still there, no one has closed them.”

He said the government intended to commence the process of decamping by categorizing the victims according the level of devastation suffered for possible intervention.

The deputy governor said there were some whose buildings had collapsed while others only had their belongings damaged by flood while the buildings were not destroyed.

According to him, those whose houses are destroyed will receive support to rebuild while those only affected by flood will also be supported by providing them with cloths and other relief materials.

He said government would intervene in such arrears before closing camps.

”By the hierarchy of government, it is only the governor that can close the camp, not even myself, not to talk of someone below the line ordering the closure of camps; that was an act of mischief.”

He, therefore, ordered the SEMA chief to release blankets previously directed to be given to the IDPs.

Abounu commended the UNHCR for the donations and the partnership with the government of the state.

He said the government would work with UNHCR to work out an accepted formula for the sharing of the materials, especially now that the camps were still intact.