The Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has distributed relief materials to internally displaced persons (IDPs), schools with special needs and rehabilitation centres in the state.

Performing the monthly distribution of relief materials on Monday in Makurdi, the agency’s acting executive secretary, James Iorpuu, said the state now has 17 official IDP camps.

According to Mr Iorpuu, the state has three additional camps in the Ukum Local Government Area following the ongoing banditry activities and herders’ attacks.

He said SEMA was distributing relief materials to 17 camps, schools with special needs at Aliade and Vandiekya, and the rehabilitation centre at Apir.

The executive secretary listed the items distributed as 4,200 25kg bags of rice, 2,810 25kg bags of beans, 2,870 bags of garri, 4,155 cartons of noodles, 324 gallons of groundnut oil and 191 gallons of red oil.

He said others included 423 cartons of seasoning, 363 bags of salt and 266 bags of sugar.

Mr Iorpuu said the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) had also sent 600 wrappers, 300 men’s wears, 150 mattresses, 300 pieces of children’s wear, 200 cooking pots and 200 blankets for distribution.

He said NEMA equally sent a truck of cement and planks to construct toilets across the camps.

The executive secretary said the distribution and transportation of all the relief materials would be carried out during the daytime for security reasons.

He said the humanitarian crisis in the state had reached the international community following the visit of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, to the IDPs in Benue. 

(NAN)