Mathias Shemale, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, has raised alarm about the humanitarian crisis in Benue state, saying it is worse than the situation in Borno state.
Shemale made the remark while leading a group to pay a courtesy call on Governor Hyacinth Alia in Makurdi, Benue State’s capital.
The Resident Coordinator promised to meet the immediate humanitarian needs of the state’s Internally Displaced People (IDPs) while also looking into measures to ensure the return of displaced people to their ancestral homes.
He called on the state government to establish its development agenda in order for the UN to intervene, guaranteeing that because the global organization was skilled at conflict resolution, it could also trace the core causes of the herder/farmer confrontations and bring forth long-term solutions to the situation.
He said, “we have had a long experience with Benue State. We need to work together. We want to go with you and far too.
“All we ask you to do is to outline your priorities. Ours is to support the government for the betterment of her citizens. The starting point will be your priorities. The conditions in the IDPs camp is worse than in Borno. We will move towards solution.
“Nigeria has been chosen amongst 16 nations in the world where we are working to ensure the return of IDPS to their homes. We want to work towards durable solution.”
Governor Alia responded by recognizing the UN’s role in working to make the world a better place, citing its efforts to maintain global peace, security, and poverty eradication through long-term goals.
The Governor stated that the state was facing a humanitarian crisis, with 34,000 households, or more than two million IDPs, living in camps and host communities around the state.
He stated that the state was already working on a relocation plan for the IDPs, as well as measures to combat young unemployment, hunger, and child malnutrition, and he requested the global organization’s assistance.
The governor called on the UN to make Benue State its hub, requesting more support from the organization in the areas of healthcare delivery and training of medical personnel in the state, provision of modern agriculture inputs and machinery to enable Benue to return to the map as the nation’s food basket, and empowerment of women in the state with relevant skills that would enable them to become self-sufficient.
He said: “We are faced with herders/farmers clashes as well as internal crisis, dilapidated healthcare facilities.
“Our resolve is to stem the tide and ensure IDPs are resettled and reintegrated into their homes. We are committed to finding solutions to the crisis and we look to UN for community policing and conflict resolution mechanism.
“We are working on a template and believe that the UN will help us improve in agricultural value chain to enhance prosperity and to boost the lives of the people”.
