Paul Osuyi, Asaba
DELTA State Government has lamented that facilities at the temporary holding camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) as a result flood, have been overstretched by the overwhelming number of inmates at the camps.
Over 18,000 persons have so far be registered across 11 camps in the state. About 10,000 IDPs were recorded by October last year when the disaster also occurred.
However, the government is predicting that the present figure of over 18,000 may increase in the next few days as water level on the Niger continued to rise.
Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, who took a tour of six of the 11 camps told journalists that the number of IDPs have become overwhelming.
Ebie, who is the chairman of the State Flood, Risk Alert and Management Committee, called for support of Nigerians to meet the needs of the people at the camps, saying government is managing the situation within the limit of its resources.
He said government would ask for funds, adding that no support would be too small from those willing to support government in managing the situation in the camps.
“We have a total of 11 camps, and as at Tuesday, we recorded over 18,000 IDPs. From the six camps we have visited, the number of displaced persons in the camps are over 10,000 persons
“Patani camp has 5,228 persons; Emede has 2,842; Alaka, 2,756; Ashaka, 1,686; Utagba-Ogbe, 1,650 and Ewulu has 1,772 persons.
“But in total, we have over 18,000 in just about four weeks which is more than what we had last year of about 10,000 IDPs in four weeks, in Emede-Ozoro for instance last year it was about 1,500 but now it is over 2,000 persons.
“I think everything is okay except for one camp, the camps are well organised, levels of hygiene is high.
“The only problem we seem to have is that the numbers of persons in the camps are really high this year compared and above our projection but we have to deal with that.
“This is a source of concern to us in terms of the expansion in the number of persons in the camp.
“The state government most definitely will need support but in the interim, as a state we are proactive in putting up camps immediately we got a notification from NiMet.
“We got donations from a few individuals and few organisations. Last year, the vice president came to inspect one of the camps in Asaba, so, we look forward to receiving support from the Federal Government in terms of relief materials.”
Ebie said the need to set up permanent camps have been discussed at the State Executive Council and was receiving attention because flooding has become a reoccurrence issues.
One of the IDPs at the Patani camp, Mrs. Rebecca Onajite, appealed to government to provide them with seedlings, birds, fingerlings and and cash to enable them return and rehabilitate their business when the flood subsides.
“We have been in the this camp for about four weeks and the flood has taken away all our crops, birds and washed our ponds away, so, we are appealing to government to help us to restart our farms again when the flood hog down,” she said.
Others who spoke thanked government but asked for more support in term of improvement in the feeding, sleeping mattress and financial assistance to enable to rehabilitate their homes and businesses after the flooding.