Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State on Thursday expressed worry over the displacement of over 1000 households in different parts of the state following recent attack on rural populace by armed invaders.

Alia made the disclosure when the Chief of Mission, International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Nigeria Paula Pace and the Head of European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operation, Alexandre Castellano, paid him a visit at Government House in Makurdi.

He noted a clarion need for collective and innovative action determined to address displacement and fostering peace in communities across the state, saying the attacks continued despite his administration’s effort to nib the trend in the bud.

The governor said that as per the IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix report of June 2024, “Our state currently shelters 500,182 displaced persons, accounting for 38% of the displaced population in this region,” adding that these individuals are dispersed across 26 camps and 185 host communities, enduring conditions that are far from ideal.

• Alaafin stool: We’ve settled for Gbadegesin, kingmakers tell Makinde
• NSCIA names Nigeria reps for int’l Qur’anic competitions

He added that the displaced grapple with inadequate shelter, limited access to clean water and sanitation, insufficient healthcare services, and a lack of robust protection mechanisms.

“Despite efforts to address the challenges, attacks continue to affect population with the recent attack over 1,000 households between December 29th to date according to DTM latest report,” the governor said.

Alia further expressed worries that such hardships had precipitated detrimental coping strategies, including early marriages, transactional activities and reduced food intake, disproportionately affecting women, children, and persons with disabilities.

He added, “We have enrolled over 6,273 vulnerable individuals from 15 IDP Camps into the Benue State Health Insurance Scheme, ensuring they receive essential healthcare services that are vital for their well-being.”

The IOM Chief of Mission, Paula Pace, however,  pledged continued support to Benue government, stating the they are conscious of the effort to assist the people to find peace

“We have come to bring more partners to work for Benue people,” Pace said.

Head of European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operation, Alexandre Castellano, said they work with other humanitarian partners like IOM to assist states faced with humanitarian crisis.