From ECOWAS Peace Fund, UCARE, Benue IDPs Get Assistance
From ECOWAS Peace Fund, UCARE, Benue IDPs Get Assistance
UCare Nigeria, with funding support from the ECOWAS Peace Fund, recently commissioned a solar-powered borehole and conducted a medical outreach for residents of the Ichwa Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp in North Bank, Makurdi.
This was part of a wider humanitarian programme targeting three IDP camps in Makurdi—Abagena, Ichwa, and the “mega camp,” which is the largest in Makurdi area.
UCare Programmes Officer, Doofan Daga, told Humanitarian reporters how interventions include water, sanitation, and health services aimed at easing the plight of displaced persons.
“We’ve implemented quite a number of projects, such as drilling a solarized borehole and building a block of toilets. Today we are commissioning the borehole and carrying out a health outreach.
She said similar activities would take place in Abagena camp next Friday and at the mega camp the following day as part of the programme’s closeout.
According to the program officer the choice of the three camps, is that some camps, such as the one at the International Market, already have functional boreholes, while Ichwa had none that worked all year round.
The UCare official identified malnutrition and malaria as the most pressing health challenges in the camp. “The children are malnourished, so we partnered on nutritional supplements. We also made provision for mosquito nets, which will be given to households along with medicines. Testing is ongoing for HIV, hepatitis, and malaria,” she said.
Commissioning the borehole, Executive Secretary of the Benue State Primary Health Care Board, Mrs. Ashi Wende, commended UCare for partnering with the state government to improve healthcare access. “I’m glad the community is accessing full medical care today,” she said.
For some residents, the intervention was unprecedented. “I’m so impressed with UCare Nigeria. They have done more than we asked. We were begging for water—they have given us water. We were begging for toilets—they gave us toilets. Now they have started a medical outreach. I appreciate them,” said Mr. Benjamin Nyajo, who fled Tse Ako Ivaan in Guma Local Government Area four years ago.
Nyajo, however, appealed for more assistance. “We need food and more shelter because we are hungry and sleeping on mats. I’m also pleading that the government should help us return to our ancestral homes. They have done their best, but the best is not yet enough,” he said.
Mrs. Benedicta Abunya, a mother of four displaced from Mbagwen in Makurdi Local Government Area since 2018, urged the government to create jobs for camp residents. “As we are here, we are not doing anything. When day breaks, we sit and wait for people to help us. If they don’t come, we have nothing. The government can empower us—even to sweep offices.
