By Sunday Ogli, Makurdi
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Wednesday flagged off the distribution of 6,403 food baskets donated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) to vulnerable households and internally displaced persons (IDPs) at the mega camp in Makurdi, Benue State capital.
Each beneficiary received a basket containing 25kg of rice, 25kg of beans and one carton of vegetable oil.
Represented by Director of Special Duties, Fatimah Suleiman Kasim, NEMA’s Director-General, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, said the intervention is part of 24,302 food baskets donated by KSrelief for distribution in Benue, Yobe, Anambra, Kebbi and Taraba states. She described the donation as KSrelief’s first humanitarian intervention in Benue through NEMA, noting that it complements efforts of the Federal and State Governments in addressing humanitarian needs.
Umar explained that the distribution would be jointly carried out by NEMA, the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and trained volunteers under strict accountability measures. She also urged residents of flood-prone communities to take precautionary measures in line with the 2026 Seasonal Climate Prediction and Annual Flood Outlook.
Speaking at the event, Benue SEMA Executive Secretary, Sir James Aondoakaa Iorpuu, said the exercise would benefit households across six IDP camps, while more than 3,000 additional relief items provided by the state government and NEMA would also be distributed.
Iorpuu commended Governor Hyacinth Alia, NEMA, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and humanitarian partners for their continued support to displaced families. He appealed to officials and stakeholders to conduct the exercise with transparency and integrity, assuring IDPs that efforts are ongoing to restore livelihoods and facilitate their safe and dignified return home.
