The Benue State government has launched a Rapid Response Fund (RRF), designed to swiftly tackle humanitarian crisis devastating communities and the lives of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the State.
The RRF programme is being implemented in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Governor Hyacinth Alia who launched the scheme driven by IOM and funded by USAID-BHA (Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance) in Makurdi, said it is a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts of his administration to address humanitarian crises facing the state.
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Represented by his Deputy, Dr. Sam Ode, Governor Alia said the state had faced significant challenges over the years, including massive internal displacements due to armed conflict and widespread insecurity.
In a statement by Ior Ikyereve, Deputy Chief Press Secretary, Office of the Deputy Governor, Alia noted that “This project holds great promise for both immediate relief and long-term resilience and our administration is committed to delivering home-grown solutions that are durable and sustainable in the face of displacement”.
He continued, “Under my leadership, the Government and all relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies will fully support the RRF project. We will continue to facilitate a conducive environment for humanitarian organizations to fulfill their mandates. I hereby direct the Durable Solutions Task Force to Support the implementation of this project and ensure that our people benefit maximally.
“While we are enthusiastic about the immediate relief provided by this initiative, our focus remains on achieving lasting solutions that are owned and driven by our communities.”
Governor Alia expressed appreciation to IOM, USAID-BHA, UNFPA, UNHCR, and the entire United Nations (UN) agencies for supporting the RRF initiative and further requested the continued support and collaborative efforts of all partners in responding to the humanitarian needs of displaced persons in the state.
In her keynote address, the USAID Mission Director, Ms. Melissa Jones, represented by Patrick Robbin, expressed happiness over the RRF project launch, which she said was the first humanitarian aid carried out by USAID, and also confirmed the United States commitment to alleviate the plight of vulnerable communities affected by the herder-farmer crisis.
Ms. Jones, therefore, thanked the Government of Benue State for developing a durable solution action plan to address the humanitarian crisis and assured the government of USAID’s resolve to ensure that IDPs return to their ancestral homeland.
Also speaking, the representative of IOM, Mr. John Asanya described the RRF project as a funding mechanism designed to respond to human-made disasters in Nigeria which according to him was expected to last for three months, but due to the peculiarity of the humanitarian crisis in Benue, the project would last for six months and will impact over two hundred thousand IDPs living in over forty thousand households in the state.
