Food scarcity looms over Nigeria's Benue herdsmen attacks

Published 26 Jul,2021 via The Nation - The Executive Secretary of Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) Emmanuel Shior has expressed concern over looming food scarcity and imminent danger of hunger following continued herdsmen attacks on harmless farmers in Benue State.

He said there are over one 1. 7 million Internally Displace Persons (IDPs) camp spread across Benue State.

He said in addition to the IDP camps, Benue State is playing host to refugees from Southern Cameroon who are camped in Kwande Local Government Area. The responsibility of catering for them is huge. He urged public-spirited individuals and international donor agencies to support Benue State to feed the IDPs.

During the distribution of relief materials to the IDPs, Shoir said due to the continued attacks on people in Nasarawa and Taraba states by suspected herdsmen, six more additional IDP camps have been created to shelter more victims whose houses and ancestral homes are taken over by the marauders and who cannot go back to their houses and farmlands.

He said the over 1.7 million IDPs has placed a financial burden on Governor Samuel Ortom’s administration as he goes the extra mile to feed and clothe them despite the paucity of funds.

The SEMA boss warned that if security measures are not taken for the IDPs who are mostly farmers to return to their farmlands and farm, the cost of food will keep on increasing.

Relief materials distributed included rice, indomie noodles and non-food items.

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