Stefanos Foundation, a Jos-based NGO, has solicited the support of Nigerians and corporate organisations to address the increasing health needs of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in camps scattered across Nigeria and parts of Cameroon.

Programme Coordinator of the foundation, Mrs. Mark Lipdo, made the appeal while speaking with newsmen in Abuja.

He expressed concern about the health condition of some of the IDPs, stressing that the situation could degenerate if nothing was done to address the challenge.

According to Lipdo, over 400 lives of IDPs have been lost to cholera from October 2014 to date at the Gawar and Zamay camps in Cameroon.

He added that 47 people tested positive to hepatitis at the Bukuru IDPs camp in Jos and Kubgaru IDPs village in Nasarawa State while others were living with different ailments that required urgent treatment.

Said Lipdo: “For now, Stefanos is providing emergency medical services at the clinic in the Bukuru camp, while critical cases are referred to appropriate hospitals.

“The clinic spends about N80,000 per month on essential drugs and medical consumables but the most prevalent health cases in the camps include malaria and cough. So far the clinic has registered two critical cases requiring about N250, 000, so, we are calling for assistance from individuals and corporate bodies.”

Lipdo added that the increasing health and other needs of the IDPs was overwhelming the foundation hence the urgent need for support to alleviate the sufferings of IDPs in Nigeria and Cameroon.

He identified other needs of the IDPs camps to include the provision of water supply (borehole), beddings/mosquito nets, trauma care, vaccination/treatments and provision of essential drugs.

According to him, other needs of the camp include construction of makeshift structures for kitchen, food supplies, payment of premises rent, payment of camp officials allowances, continuing education/literacy classes.

He said the camps also required facilities for skills acquisition/vocational training, employment opportunities for IDPs with skilled labour, security surveillance and continuous transportation of police personnel deployed to the camp and provision of 10 wheel dustbins for sanitation.

Lipdo said the foundation had done its best by not only providing food and health care for the over 12,000 IDPs in the camps in Nigeria but had executed projects in the camps to make them more livable.

He said though Vice President, Prof. Yomi Osinbajo, through the State House Chaplain, Pastor Joseph Malomo, recently assured the foundation of its support, Nigerians should come to the aid of the IDPs.

He said the foundation would host a programme in Jos on December 6 to mark the one year anniversary of the establishment of the Jos camp for IDPs.

He said the inhabitants of the Jos and Nasarawa IDPs camps are indigenes of Kunde, Tatsa, Himbe, Gathoghre, Gharaza and other villages on the Gwoza hills. (NAN)

•Photo shows IDPs undergoing registration in a temporary camp.