Over 50,000 displaced by Taraba crisis, says NEMA

No fewer than 50,000 persons, mainly women, children and the aged, have been displaced from their homes in various parts of Taraba following the recent crisis in the area, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has said.

Zainab Umar, NEMA’s Operations Officer in Gombe State, said this recently in Bali, Taraba State, while distributing relief materials at one of the camps occupied by victims of the recent communal conflict.

She explained that NEMA had donated 20 trucks of relief materials and had commenced distribution of assorted materials comprising food, non-food items and medical supplies to the displaced persons.

“No fewer than 9,000 displaced persons have taken refuge in some places of worship and residences in Bali, headquarters of Bali council area and its environs,” she said.

“At least another 16,000 persons displaced by religious violence in Wukari and Ibi are in Mutum-Biyu, Gassol Local Government Area of the state. Similarly, about 10,000 displaced persons mainly from Wukari, have taken refuge in Jalingo, the state capital”.

She added that there were more than 20,000 displaced persons in Wukari and Ibi towns, and their environs, who were in dire need of assistance.

Ms. Umar noted that the Federal Government had, after each crisis and natural disaster, dispatched several relief items to Taraba through NEMA. She, nonetheless, called on wealthy individuals and state governments to also to assist the victims.

Wukari has witnessed four religious crises since the beginning of the year, resulting in wanton destruction of lives and property.

In Bali area, the ethnic conflict between farmers and herdsmen has resulted in the loss of several lives and destruction of property worth millions of naira.

For fear of losing their lives, residents in the affected areas have deserted their homes to take refuge in camps and worship places in the council headquarters. (NAN)