By Philip Yatai

The Victims Support Funds (VSF) Taskforce on COVID-19 in partnership with a Kaduna-based NGO, Carelink Resource Foundation (CRF) has distributed food items to 50 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) households in Kaduna.

The Chief Executive Officer, CRF, Mr Silas Ideva, handed over the food items, including Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to the IDP at Unguwan Zawu IDP camp, Goni Gora, Kaduna.

Ideva explain that the items were donated by VSF under its COVID-19 Emergency Support Programme.

He identified the items for each of the 50 households to include 10 kilogramme (kg) of rice, beans, maize, two packs of 500 grammes of salt, and a four-litter of vegetable oil. 

He also said that the PPEs consisted of facemasks and hand sanitisers.

He said that so far, no fewer than 468 vulnerable households in 10 communities of Chikun Local Government Area of the state have received the items provided by VSF Taskforce on COVID-19.

The communities include Kyanan Gari, Babban Saura, Dan Bushia, Narayi, Janruwa, Unguwan Bulus, Bagado, Television, Unguwan Matari, and Unguwan Zawu IDP camp.

He said that the beneficiaries included widows and orphans’ households, low-income households and households of people living with disabilities.  

Receiving the items, the Village Head of Uguwan Bije, Goni Gora, Mr Sabo Waya thanked the NGOs for the support, saying it would significantly reduce the sufferings of the IDPs.

The Camp Chairman, Mr Habila Madaki, thanked VSF and CRF for the support, describing it as “very uplifting”.

Madaki said that the camp, a block of two classrooms of the proposed Zawu Community Secondary School, was established in January 2020.   

He said that women and children constitute about 400 out of the 628 IDPs from 108 households at the camp.

“We don’t have access to clean water, and we defecate openly due to lack of toilet and other sanitation facilities.   

“We are appealing to the state government to improve the security situation in the state so that we will all go back to our houses,” he said.

Sharing his experience, a displaced 8-year-old boy, Godswill Irimiya, said he wish he and his family will have access to food like they use to have while at home.

Irimiya, who spoke in Gbagyi language, also said that he wants to be back in school to acquire education so he would be able to help his family when he grows up.

The young boy said that he and his family were forced out of their home in Rumana Gbayi community of Chikun Local Government Area of the state due to incessant attacks and raids by gunmen. 

 “I have been in this IDP camp since January and sometimes spent the whole day without food to eat and I am currently not attending school due to our predicament.

“I also wish this security challenge will come to an end so that I will be able to attend school, become someone in life and help my family,” he added.

Another displaced person, Mrs Kiskilla Nuhu, a mother of four, said that their children were starving and predisposed to diseases due to the poor condition of the camp.

“Government should please do something to address the security situation so we will return to our homes and fend for ourselves,” she said.

The VSF has donated food items and PPEs valued at N130 million to the Kaduna State Government and selected Civil Society Organisations in the state for distribution to vulnerable households.