Babies die as measles, strange sickness hits Agagbe IDPs camp in Benue

Inmates of the Agagbe Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp located in the Gwer West Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State have raised an alarm due to concerning conditions in the camp.

IDOMA VOICE reports that they have reported an outbreak of measles and other ailments, along with increasing starvation among the residents.

The IDPs have expressed distressing concerns about pregnant women being forced to deliver babies in toilets due to the lack of proper medical care and support from relevant authorities. This dire situation has reportedly resulted in the deaths of some newborn babies in the camp. The IDPs are urgently appealing to the state government, individuals with charitable intentions, and organizations for assistance.

The camp’s manager, Jacob Ibaah, called for urgent need for intervention, stressing that two inmates had lost their babies in the recent days – one due to premature birth and the other during childbirth. He revealed that due to overcrowding in the camp’s rooms, a toilet constructed by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is often used by pregnant women for giving birth.

The situation in the camp has further been exacerbated by an outbreak of measles and other diseases. Six children have been identified as being afflicted with measles, yet they have not received medical attention and are resorting to using native herbs.

Reacting, the acting Executive Secretary of Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mr. James Iorpuu, mentioned that 200 bags of rice were allocated to the camp during the last food distribution exercise.

The Agagbe camp specifically is home to thousands of these displaced individuals in that region of the state. The situation in the camp underscores the pressing need for immediate assistance and intervention to address the health and living conditions of the IDP