The International Organisation for Migration has donated $1.1 million (N1.69 billion) to support internally displaced persons in Benue.

The deputy director-general of IOM, Ugochi Daniels, who made the donation during a condolence visit to the state on Wednesday in Makurdi, said that the support was specifically for Yelewata and Naka IDPs.

Ms Daniels said that the donation was part of the IOM’s support for the Benue Government’s efforts to return the 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,” Ms Daniels stated.

She urged the government and stakeholders to prioritise peacebuilding in order to solve the humanitarian needs in the state. The IOM official said that development could only thrive in an atmosphere of peace.

The IOM has been actively involved in providing support to IDPs in Benue, focusing on areas such as shelter, water, sanitation, and hygiene services, as well as supporting resettlement and livelihood opportunities.

Receiving the donation, Governor Hyacinth Alia also supported IOM with $50,000 as part of the Benue government’s contribution towards the organisation’s efforts to dignify the lives of IDPs.

Mr Alia said that the state government was proud of any partnership with IOM, saying, “The organisation has helped the government to operate in coordination by introducing biometric registration of IDPs.

“IOM’s constant support of the Benue IDPs has transformed vulnerability into resilience; I commend the organisation for also constructing a mega camp that gave dignified shelter to the IDPs.”

The governor, who expressed concerns over the high population of IDPs in camps, said that many of them were women and children.

He said that Benue needed a strengthened partnership to enable them to return home or integrate into new communities of their choice.

“We are engaging relevant quarters 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,” Mr Alia said.

(NAN)