A non-profit organisation, Women’s Rights to Education Programme (WREP), has called for psychological, educational and basic support for women and children affected by the alleged genocidal attacks by armed herdsmen in Benue State, especially in Yelewata community.
This came as the group sought the urgent intervention of local authorities and the international community in addressing the unabating carnage which has continued to affect the fundamental rights of women being displaced and disconnected from their sources of decent or stable livelihoods, as well as the educational future of children living in Benue State.
Executive Director WREP, Mimidoo Achakpa in a statement in Wednesday, disclosed that
women and children in 13 out of 23 Local Government Areas have experienced these attacks, displacement which have further increased the already high numbers of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the state.
According to her, the Local Government areas where these attacks have been ongoing for years includes; Guma, Makurdi, Logo, Ukum, Gwer West, Gwer East, Buruku, Tarka, Katsina Ala, Kwande, Agatu, Apa, and Otukpo Local Government Councils.
Quoting statistics from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Achakpa noted that 6,527 people have so far been displaced by the attacks in Benue State, from 1,069 households.
A further breakdown has shown that 1,768 females, 759 males, 657 children under 18, 1,870 adults above 18, were affected, as well so 252 lactating mothers, 82 pregnant women, and 91 elderly persons.
“These Women and children in IDP camps daily face a multitude of needs, often made worse by displacement itself. Some of these needs include necessities like food, water, and shelter, as well as protection from violence, abuse, and exploitation, and access to healthcare, education, and psychosocial support. They also need opportunities for economic self-reliance and social reintegration.
“WREP is calling for the immediate provision of basic needs like foodstuffs, clean water supplies, sanitation facilities, and healthcare services to all affected communities, but most especially to the victims of the Yelewata attacks.
“We also call on authorities to ensure that the education of children living in IDPs is still sustained, albeit at a minimal level.
Long-term solutions are crucial:
“Beyond immediate relief, WREP emphasizes the necessity of investing in long-term solutions to address the root causes of these attacks, rebuilding destroyed communities, and relocating those in IDPs back to their communities where they will resume their normal lives.”
WREP urged local authorities, civil society organizations (CSOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the international community to collaborate if effective and sustainable solutions must be achieved in the long run.
“The perennial attacks on local communities in Benue State, from verifiable data, affect mostly women and children. For years, the basic rights of women affected by these attacks and the educational needs of out-of-school children were ignored. Still, in the wake of recent attacks, we call on all parties to work towards ameliorating the harsh conditions that they currently live in and bringing a long-lasting solution to the attacks,” she added.
