ActionAid: Benue under sustained terror, not just attacks

The Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Andrew Mamedu, has described the ongoing violence in Benue State as “sustained terror,” rather than isolated attacks, warning that the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the state reflects a deeper national wound.

Mamedu speaking at a press conference in Makurdi, the state capital, on Thursday through David Habba, the ActionAid’s Humanitarian and Resilience Programme Specialist, noted that the nature of the killings, destruction, and displacement of communities across the state amounts to a prolonged tragedy requiring urgent national attention.

“For the past 45 days, our consortium has been on the ground, responding to a humanitarian crisis that is far more than a temporary emergency,” Habba said, representing ActionAid and its partners; Plan International, Cordaid, and Jireh Doo Foundation under the BENUE-RESPONSE consortium.

SPONSOR AD

He noted that the scope and frequency of the attacks have reached alarming levels, leaving behind devastated communities and families.

“Homes have been burned to the ground. Fields left unplanted. Futures thrown into limbo. Behind the numbers lie painful realities: children who have grown accustomed to the sound of gunfire, mothers burdened by trauma, and fathers struggling to protect their families in increasingly unsafe environments,” Habba lamented.

He maintained that while the consortium had reached over 30,000 people in six weeks with medical support, cash aid, clean water, dignity kits for women, and other essentials, the interventions were only temporary reliefs.

Habba listed the humanitarian response, supported by STARTFUND to include: medical assistance to 1,500 people, cash support to 1,800 households (benefiting 11,700 individuals), non-food item distributions to over 10,000 people and dignity kits for 1,500 women facing gender-based risks as well as clean water and sanitation aid to more than 11,000 people.

He acknowledged the support of state and local government officials, security agencies, and especially the displaced communities themselves for their resilience and cooperation, however warning that “aid alone is not the solution,” calling for a coordinated national and international effort to restore peace and rebuild affected communities.

“What Benue needs is peace – sustainable, inclusive, and just peace. Let it be known that ActionAid Nigeria, Plan International, Cordaid, and Jireh Doo Foundation are not going anywhere. We remain committed, not as saviours, but as partners,” he added.