The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in partnership with the Federal Government, on Wednesday distributed food items to 6,403 Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) households in Benue State.
The Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Zubaida Umar, said the food items were donated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief).
Umar, who was represented by NEMA’s Director of Special Duties, Fatimah Kasim, spoke at the flag-off of the distribution exercise at the IDPs Mega Camp in Makurdi.
She said the items were being distributed through NEMA in collaboration with the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (BSEMA).
According to her, KSrelief donated a total of 24,302 food baskets for vulnerable households in Benue, Yobe, Anambra, Kebbi and Taraba states, with Benue receiving 6,403 food baskets for profiled households across the state.
Umar said the intervention marked the first humanitarian support by KSrelief to Benue through NEMA and complemented the efforts of both the Federal Government and the Benue State Government in addressing humanitarian challenges.
“The distribution exercise will be carried out strictly in line with the operational and accountability standards expected by KSrelief.
“To ensure transparency, fairness and effective delivery, the exercise will be implemented jointly by officials of NEMA, Benue SEMA and recognised volunteers,” she said.
The NEMA boss also cautioned residents of flood-prone communities to take preventive measures as the rainy season intensifies, citing forecasts contained in the 2026 Seasonal Climate Prediction and Annual Flood Outlook.
She reaffirmed the commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to improving citizens’ welfare and addressing vulnerabilities arising from disasters, conflicts, climate-related emergencies and economic challenges.
Umar expressed appreciation to Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Saudi government and KSrelief for their continued humanitarian support to Nigeria.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of BSEMA, James Iorpuu, said the distribution reflected the commitment of government and humanitarian partners to providing timely assistance to displaced families.
Iorpuu disclosed that the exercise involved two humanitarian interventions.
He explained that the first intervention was the distribution of Saudi Arabia’s food donation to 6,403 households across six IDP camps in the state: Mega Camp, Abagena, Daudu II, Ortese, Ichwa and International Market Camp.
According to him, the second intervention involved the distribution of more than 3,000 household relief items jointly facilitated by the Benue State Government and NEMA to support displaced families in meeting their immediate needs.
Iorpuu commended Governor Hyacinth Alia for his commitment to the welfare of displaced persons through humanitarian response and recovery programmes.
He also praised NEMA, particularly its North Central Zonal Office in Jos, for strengthening emergency preparedness and relief operations in the state.
The BSEMA executive secretary thanked the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the donation, describing it as a demonstration of global solidarity and compassion for people affected by displacement.
He assured displaced persons that the Benue State Government remained committed to restoring their livelihoods and facilitating their safe, voluntary and dignified return to their communities when conditions permit.
Iorpuu urged officials and humanitarian workers to ensure transparency, accountability and fairness in the distribution process so that the relief materials reach the intended beneficiaries without diversion or discrimination.
