The Benue State Government has spent more than N160m treating internally displaced persons for snakebites in six months, even as displaced families face medicine shortages and barriers to affordable healthcare.
The Executive Secretary of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency, James Iorpuu, disclosed this on Friday, saying the agency arranged treatment for displaced people at the Benue University Teaching Hospital in Makurdi.
He said the expenditure covered healthcare interventions between March and September, adding that the agency had also facilitated treatment for people with serious illnesses and medical emergencies.
However, the disclosure comes amid concerns about the availability of basic healthcare in camps housing people displaced by insecurity.
According to an investigative report by PREMIUM TIMES, a health facility at the Anyiin internally displaced persons’ camp in Logo Local Government Area had shut down after humanitarian support ended, forcing residents to seek medical attention outside the settlement.
The online newspaper reported that the clinic was established by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in 2018 before the Victim Support Fund took over its operations. The fund withdrew in January 2021, after which the facility closed.
A former worker at the facility, Helen Tsavwua, said the closure followed the withdrawal of support, while a community health worker linked the shutdown to inadequate funding and a lack of medical supplies.
The investigation also documented the death of an eight-month-old girl, Ngusurun Kengersha, whose grandmother, Anaor Saawuan, said the family could not afford a blood transfusion recommended at a hospital.
The child had suffered vomiting, diarrhoea and fever before dying on 2 May after the family struggled to secure treatment.
“There used to be a clinic here. Medicines were available, and treatment was free, until everything stopped,” Saawuan said.
Pregnant women have also reported difficulties paying for routine care. A 32-year-old displaced woman, Naomi Teryen, said she typically spent about N3,000 on an antenatal visit at the government-owned Comprehensive Health Centre in Anyiin and had once been turned away after arriving with only N1,000.
A medical doctor and UNICEF consultant, Terrence Akighir, said multiple micronutrient supplements intended for pregnant women should be provided free of charge and called for alleged improper charges to be investigated.
Responding to complaints about conditions in the camps, Iorpuu said SEMA had continued distributing food and non-food items despite dwindling resources and growing demands. He acknowledged, however, that the quantities of food available for distribution had fallen significantly.
He also said the agency was working with humanitarian partners, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, on interventions linked to resettlement.
The agency’s account contrasts with complaints from leaders of the Agagbe, Daudu and Mega IDP camps, who said food assistance was irregular and healthcare, shelter, sanitation and livelihood support remained inadequate.
One camp leader, who spoke anonymously for fear of victimisation, said the last food distribution had occurred about four months earlier and was insufficient for the displaced population.
The camp leaders also said some residents wanted to return to their ancestral communities but remained unable to do so because of insecurity.
Iorpuu, however, dismissed claims that a planned protest by displaced people was driven by food shortages. He alleged that some individuals had encouraged the demonstration because of restrictions on visits to the camps.
The N160m expenditure has also raised questions about the scale and coverage of the intervention. SEMA did not provide a breakdown of the spending, the number of patients treated, the average cost per patient or the facilities and services covered.
Data from the International Organisation for Migration’s Displacement Tracking Matrix showed that Benue had 464,543 internally displaced people in its Round 18 assessment. About 376,000, or 81 per cent, lived in host communities, while approximately 88,000 stayed in camps and camp-like settings.
While SEMA’s statement outlined its reported spending on snakebite treatment, it did not explain how its interventions had addressed the wider gaps in routine healthcare, including the closure of the Anyiin camp clinic.
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