Terna Jacob, camp manager at Agagbe Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Gwer West local government area of Benue State, has decried the condition of the camp, lamenting how pregnant women now make use of toilets as delivery rooms.
According to him, parents of children down with measles now resort to native herbs to treat their kids due to lack of medicine in the camp.
He disclosed that the camp in the past one week recorded two deaths at birth while six children are sick with measles.
Narrating the plight of inmates at the camp on Monday, Jacob told newsmen that hunger, sickness and over population have been the challenges confronting the camp.
According to Jacob, “Just few days ago, two people lost their babies. One was premature death, the other one lost the baby while giving birth. Both incidents happened on Sunday and Monday last week.
“There is hunger in the camp. Also, they (pregnant women) could not get money to go hospital so they delivered in the camp. Even a place to give birth is also a problem here, there is a space here – a toilet built by Medecins Sans Frontieres is the one most women here use to give birth.
“If they don’t have money to go to hospital, they use the toilet to give birth since we are currently congested in the rooms. It’s really tough.
“There is even an issue of measles that is rampant here in camp. All together, six children are infected with measles and no medical attention so they are taking native herbs,” he stated.
Jacob said that the State Emergency and Management Agency (SEMA) was aware of the plight of inmates.
When contacted, the acting Executive Secretary of SEMA, James Iorpuu, said that 200 bags of rice were sent to the camp three weeks ago during distribution of relief items to IDP camps across the state.
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