ECOWAS Peace Fund, UCare Nigeria Launch Medical Outreach, Commission Borehole Ichwa IDP Camp In Benue

By Amos Aar

UCare Nigeria, a non-governmental organization, with funding from the ECOWAS Peace Fund, on Friday commissioned a solar-powered borehole at the Ichwa Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp in North Bank, Makurdi, and conducted a medical outreach for residents.

Speaking at the event, UCare Programmes Officer, Doofan Daga, said the ECOWAS Peace Fund had supported the organization to carry out humanitarian interventions in three IDP camps in Makurdi—Abagena, Ichwa, and the “mega camp,” which she described as the largest in the area.

“We’ve implemented quite a number of projects, like drilling a solarized borehole, building a block of toilets, and today we are commissioning the borehole project and carrying out a health outreach. Most of the IDPs have health challenges. We are supporting under-five children with Tombrown supplements, pregnant women with delivery kits, and adolescent and young girls with hygiene kits. Others with health challenges will be attended to by our healthcare team on the ground, from triage to the lab, pharmacy, and service delivery.

“Next week Friday we will proceed to Abagena camp, and on Saturday to the mega camp for the closeout. These are the activities lined up by UCare Foundation in collaboration with the ECOWAS Peace Fund,” she said.

On the choice of the three camps, Daga explained: “Some camps, like the one at the International Market, already have functional boreholes. Ichwa camp doesn’t have a functional borehole—one borehole here dries up during the dry season. We engaged a contractor who carried out a thorough geophysical survey and located a reliable water source. The borehole will go a long way in serving them. Mega camp was chosen because of its large population—over 13,000 people, though some have gone to their farms. We consulted with the Benue State Primary Health Care Board to identify priority needs.”

The programs manager said UCare hoped to attend to about 300 IDPs at Ichwa camp during the outreach, including 50 pregnant women and 300 adolescent girls, depending on need.

She noted that extending interventions to other local governments would depend on funding. “It’s a commendable effort, but we hope it can be sustained. We call on the ECOWAS Peace Fund to look into the dire needs of Benue State, especially beyond Makurdi. If funding is available, we can do much more. We are like Oliver Twist—asking for more,” she said.

On the main health challenges at Ichwa camp, Daga identified severe malnutrition and malaria. “The children are malnourished, so we partnered on nutritional supplements. We also made provision for mosquito nets, which will be given to households, along with medicines. Testing is ongoing for HIV, hepatitis, and malaria,” she said.

Commissioning the borehole on behalf of ECOWAS Peace Fund, Executive Secretary of the Benue State Primary Health Care Board, Mrs. Ashi Wende, thanked UCare for partnering with the state government to provide basic healthcare. “I’m glad the community is accessing full medical care today,” she said.

An IDP, Mr. Benjamin Nyajo, who has lived at the camp for four years after fleeing Tse Ako Ivaan in Guma Local Government Area, described the intervention as impressive. “I’m so impressed with UCare Nigeria. They have done more than we asked. We were begging for water—they have given us water. We were begging for toilets—they gave us toilets. Now they have started a medical outreach. I appreciate them,” he said.

He, however, appealed for more support. “We need food and more shelter because we are hungry and sleeping on mats. I’m also pleading that the government should help us return to our ancestral homes. They have done their best, but their best is not yet enough,” Nyajo said.

Another IDP, Mrs. Benedicta Abunya, a mother of four displaced from Mbagwen, Makurdi Local Government Area since 2018, appealed to the government to provide jobs for camp residents. “As we are here, we are not doing anything. When day breaks, we sit and wait for people to help us. If they don’t come, we have nothing. The government can empower us—even to sweep offices. This insecurity has affected the whole country, and those helping us are almost tired. If the government empowers us, we can stand on our own,” she said.

Responding to complaints about hunger, Ichwa Camp Manager and staff of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (BSEMA), Mrs. Apaa Msuurshima, said the agency regularly supplied food to the camp. “BSEMA gives us food monthly, and we are expecting another supply before next week,” she assured.