Benue IDPs camp records 51 deaths - Commandant reveals
- Fifty-one deaths and 69 births were recorded in Abagena Internally Displaced Persons camp
- The commandant of the camp, James Iorkyaa, says 50 of the persons died of various diseases while one was involved in an accident
- According to him, some of the challenges the camp is experiencing is shortage of foodstuffs to feed the high number of IDPs in the camp
The camp commandant of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Abagena, Makurdi, James Iorkyaa, has said that 51 deaths and 69 births were recorded in the camp between January and June.
NAN reports that Iorkyaa disclosed this on Wednesday, June 4, at the IDPs camp in Abagena, Makurdi local government area of Benue state in an interview with newsmen.
Legit.ng gathers that the commandant explained that 50 persons died of various diseases while one was involved in an accident. He denied that the deaths were as a result of poor living condition at the camps.
According to him, most of the IDPs contracted diseases that killed them from their various places before coming to the camp, while some died of age related issues.
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The commandant said: “We have recorded 69 births since the camp was opened this year. Out of the 69 births, we have one set of triplets and two sets of twins."
Iorkyaa said that some of the challenges the camp was experiencing was shortage of foodstuffs to feed the high number of IDPs in the camp. He further said that sometimes they were forced to share a 50kg bag of rice to 40 families.
He said: “Another issue is the growing number of malaria cases, particularly in children due to lack of mosquito nets. Though, we have distributed nets to the IDPs, some of them have mismanaged them and do not have them again."
Iorkyaa called for the assistance of organisations and well meaning individuals to alleviate the sufferings of the IDPs.
Also, the chairman of the camp, Philip Usaatse, said that all they needed was for the government to provide security for them to return to their various homes, adding that the total number of IDPs in the camp was 34,986.
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that there was excitement at a camp of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Benue on Tuesday, May 15, as Vice President Yemi Osinbajo announced that N10 billion had been approved by the federal government to rebuild destroyed areas in the state and its neighbouring areas.
Osinbajo, who visited the Abagena IDPs camp along Makurdi-Lafia road during his two-day visit to Benue state, said the approval was granted by President Muhammadu Buhari.
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Source: Legit.ng
