From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
An NGO, Christian Aid Nigeria has launched a rapid humanitarian response project for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Yelwata, Guma Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State.
The gesture followed recent violent attacks that left over 200 people dead and displaced more than 3,000 in the area.
Speaking at BICD office, in Makurdi, Head of Programmes at Christian Aid Nigeria, Victor Arokoyo, said the project, funded through the Start Fund, will support 1,500 households with a range of interventions.
“We are doing multipurpose cash transfers, WASH, Non-Food Items (NFIs) distribution, dignity kits, and psychosocial support,” Arokoyo said.
He explained that the aid targets approximately 10,000 individuals and stressed that the event served to officially inform the state government about the organization’s plans to respond to the crisis in Yelwata.
Benue State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Hon. Aondowase Kunde, described the intervention as an act of solidarity, not just aid adding “This initiative represents not just a response to urgent needs, but a true act of solidarity with those who have borne the heaviest cost of displacement and insecurity.”
Kunde who commended Christian Aid Nigeria’s Country Director, Ms. Temitope Fashola, for her vision called on all humanitarian stakeholders to work together to ensure equitable, effective, and accountable interventions.
He noted that “Coordination must be the heartbeat of every intervention. The people of Yelwata deserve no less,” he noted, while reiterating the government’s commitment through agencies like the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (BSEMA) and BICD.
The Secretary to the Benue State Government, Mrs Deborah Aber, described the project as a strategic expression of a humanitarian-development-peace compact.
She said the government, under Governor Hyacinth Alia, has outlined clear policy directions that humanitarian interventions must follow, “They must be coordinated, data-informed, locally anchored, and strategically aligned with our long-term recovery and development goals.”
Director General of the Bureau for International Cooperation and Development, Mr. Leopard Angelo Viashima, said the project was timely and aligned with the state’s coordinated response architecture.
He expressed gratitude to Christian Aid for its multi-sectoral approach to displacement in Guma, highlighting the inclusion of protection services, dignity kits, trauma counseling, and feedback mechanisms as key indicators of a mature humanitarian model.
“Today’s launch is not just about supplies, it is about demonstrating our collective ability to respond with empathy, coordination, and intelligence,” Viashima said stressing that humanitarian efforts in the state must align with broader development objectives and that coordination remains central to avoiding duplication and inefficiency.
Executive Director of Ahanyeta Caregivers, a Christian Aid partner organization, Dr. Esther Aidoga, detailed the items to be distributed to IDPs saying the non-food items include 1,500 mattresses, mosquito nets, blankets, Ghana-must-go bags, buckets, jerriycans, and soaps. “We will be doing the distribution by God’s grace on Tuesday next week,” she added.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management/Executive Secretary of BSEMA, Sir. James Iorpuu, appreciated Christian Aid for consistently responding to crises in the state.
Iorpuu who was represented by the Head of Administration at BSEMA, Dr. Donald Komgbenda, assured that SEMA would ensure that all items reach the right beneficiaries. “As a responding agency, whatever you give will be given to the right people,” he stated.
Speaking on behalf of the Benue NGO Network (BENGONET), Mr. Lazarus Mom, pledged continued support and collaboration with humanitarian agencies operating in the state.
Photo.
Dignitories at the event. R-L: Executive Director, Ahanyeta Caregivers, Dr Esther Aidoga, State Commissioner of Education & Knowledge Management, Dr Frederick Ikyaan, Christian Aid Nigeria Head of Programmes, Mr Victor Arokoyo, Secretary to the Benue State Govt, Barr Deborah Serumun Aber, Principal Private Secretary to Gov. Hyacinth Alia, Dr Emmanuel Chenge, Benue State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs & Disaster Management, Hon. Aondowase Kunde, in a group photograph during the launch of the Christian Aid Nigeria Start Fund for Yelwata IDPs.
