Benue Flood: Tuface, Annie arrive Makurdi IDP camp

The popular musician, Innocent Idibia, popularly known as TuFace, has arrived at the camp for internally displaced persons in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
The artist, a native of Benue State, arrived at 10:40 a.m. to donate gifts to thousands of families who are urgently taking shelter at the camp.
An estimated 110,000 people are believed to have been affected by the massive flood that destroyed homes of residents following days of rainfall last week.
TuFace arrived with his wife and actress, Annie, and is expected to perform briefly under the Benue Flood Relief Initiative.
Also, the minister for health, Isaac Adewole, has called on development partners for more support to assist Benue State flood victims.
Some communities in Benue State were last week ravaged by floods which washed away villages, farmlands, food storage facilities and left many people displaced.
A statement released by the ministry of health on Tuesday said it is collaborating with Benue State Government Emergency Management Agency, BSEMA, to assist citizens affected by the flood and ensure the control of diseases that may arise as a result.
To achieve this, the ministry has established a “communication and escalation path” with the BSEMA with clear instructions to refer all emergencies and advanced critical cases to the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, in the state.

The minister has also issued a circular mandating FMC hospital staff to provide treatment for all flood victims at no cost.
Mr. Adewole who has been monitoring and coordinating the health ministry’s intervention noted that thousands of people have already registered at the emergency medical camp opened at the international market in Makurdi and the “number is increasing on an hourly basis as more residents are reporting for medical checks.”
PREMIUM TIMES learnt that 3423 people are currently in the camp including men, 531; women, 642; children (over 5 years), 1387; under five kids, 582; pregnant women, 92; lactating mothers, 115 and 74 persons living with disabilities.
The minister noted that there will be a need for maternal, neonatal and children health interventions and adequate provision for life saving drugs.
The ministry said it has been reaching out to about 700 households who are within the communities and churches while the Air Force medical services team have now taken over the camp clinic.
The team from the ministry were also asked to compile the comprehensive list of pregnant women and children under- five for close monitoring, supervision and care.