Benue State Government has spent more than N160 million on the treatment of snake bites among internally displaced persons (IDPs) between March and September, the Executive Secretary of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), James Iorpuu, has disclosed.

Iorpuu made the disclosure on Friday while responding to complaints by leaders of some IDP camps across the state, who accused the government of providing insufficient food and poor welfare support to displaced persons.

He dismissed claims that the agency had abandoned IDPs, saying it had continued to provide food, healthcare, education, protection services and resettlement support despite financial and logistical challenges.

According to him, the expenditure on snake bites covered medical treatment and hospital bills for displaced persons during the seven-month period.

However, Iorpuu acknowledged a significant decline in available relief supplies, noting that SEMA had fewer than 2,000 bags of rice for distribution in September, compared with its usual monthly distribution of more than 3,500 bags.

He said the agency had also continued to provide non-food items and healthcare services to displaced persons, while 163 children had been enrolled in schools through an education-related intervention supported by SEMA’s mobilisation and transportation assistance.

The SEMA executive secretary identified inadequate funding, shortages of medical personnel and limited transportation as major challenges affecting the agency’s service delivery.

He further disclosed that the agency had trained 248 community reporters to provide real-time information on security incidents and protection concerns in IDP camps and host communities.

On sexual and gender-based violence, Iorpuu said reported cases were referred to the police, adding that he would provide further details of documented incidents after reviewing the agency’s records.

The agency’s defence followed complaints by leaders of various IDP camps, who said food distribution had become irregular and humanitarian assistance inadequate.

The camp leaders, who spoke with journalists in Makurdi on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation by the state government, listed their challenges to include irregular food distribution, lack of livelihood opportunities, unsafe homes, inadequate shelter, poor sanitation, gaps in healthcare and limited humanitarian support.

One of the leaders said, “food distribution to idps in various camps is no longer regular despite government promises that relief materials would be provided monthly.”

The leaders said they had considered staging a protest over the prolonged absence of food assistance but were summoned by agency officials for discussions.

One of them said, “Following the engagement, another food distribution was eventually carried out, although, it was insufficient compared with the needs of the population but since the last distribution about four months ago, we have not heard of anything again.”

The camp leaders said their priority was to return safely to their ancestral communities but expressed concern that some areas remained unsafe for their return. (Sunday Tribune)