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Summary
Benue State has raised alarm over the worsening conditions of Internally Displaced Persons, facing severe shortages of food, clean water, and necessities following repeated violent attacks. Authorities are calling for urgent humanitarian support and the domestication of the national IDP policy to better address the state’s growing displacement crisis.
The Benue State Government has raised concerns over the worsening conditions of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Naka, Gwer West Local Government Area, lamenting a severe lack of basic necessities such as clean water and food.
Benue State has been grappling with escalating insecurity in recent months. On June 13, 2025, at least 100 people were killed in Yelewata, a community in the state’s north-central region, following a brutal overnight attack by gunmen. A similar assault in Gwer West LGA claimed the lives of at least 20 people, triggering waves of displacement.
The State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Aondowase Kunde, made the appeal on July 17, 2025, during a two-day Policy Document Validation Meeting in Makurdi. He urged Civil Society Organisations, as well as local and international donors, to urgently intervene and support the IDPs currently sheltering at NKST School, Naka.
He disclosed that the number of displaced persons in Naka is significantly high due to repeated attacks on several communities in the area, forcing mass displacement. He revealed that the IDP population in Naka is three times higher than that of Yelewata, where IDPs are currently accommodated at the Makurdi Ultra-Modern IDP Camp.
“That is why I am inviting everyone to come to the aid of these displaced communities in Gwer West LGA,” the Commissioner stated. “We must ensure that the most vulnerable are not left behind. The displaced persons in Naka do not have access to basic resources like potable water and food.”
Aondowase also called for stakeholders’ contributions to the draft State IDP Policy Document, which he said seeks to improve the welfare of displaced persons. While the national IDP policy has already been passed into law by the National Assembly, he emphasised the need to domesticate it in Benue State to address its unique humanitarian challenges.
Also speaking at the event, Murjanatu Kabir, Policy and Advocacy Campaign Manager for Save the Children International, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to the welfare of displaced children in the state.
She further assured that Save the Children would continue to advocate for the protection and rights of IDPs and ensure that any resettlement processes are guided by a policy that prioritises comfort, safety, and successful reintegration.
