Government, UNHCR Agree to Step up Life-saving Support to Communities in Benue State

For Immediate Release

The Federal Government of Nigeria, the Benue State Government and the United Nations High Commissioner

for Refugees (UNHCR) have agreed on a joint intervention to deliver urgent, protection-based, life-saving

support to communities affected by violence and displacement in Benue State.

The agreement was reached today between the Honourable Federal Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and

Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard M. Doro, who witnessed an exchange of letters between the Executive Governor

of Benue State, His Excellency Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, and UNHCR’s Country Representative, Arjun

Jain, reflecting a shared commitment to protecting displaced populations and strengthening community safety

in areas most affected by insecurity.

With a planned allocation through the Nigerian Humanitarian Fund (NHF), the initiative will directly benefit

100,000 people in Guma and Makurdi Local Government Areas, while indirectly supporting many more through

strengthened protection systems and preventive measures. Highlighting the significance of the partnership,

the Honourable Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction noted that “this partnership reflects

our unwavering commitment to protect Nigerians affected by conflict and displacement. With this support, we

are ensuring that vulnerable families receive the life-saving assistance they urgently need while advancing the

President’s Renewed Hope Agenda for safety, dignity, and stability.”

The intervention will focus on three priority areas: protection-based life-saving assistance for displaced

communities, including support for relocation from camps to safer locations; the installation of solar lighting

to enhance community protection and reduce risks for women, girls, persons with disabilities and other at-risk

groups; and the expansion and digitization of protection monitoring to enable real-time reporting, early

identification of threats, and integration into state and federal early warning systems.

Welcoming the initiative, the Executive Governor of Benue State emphasized the importance of combining

immediate relief with longer-term system strengthening, noting that “Benue has carried a heavy burden of

forced displacement for far too long. This collaboration allows us to scale up immediate relief while

strengthening the systems that keep our people safe. Our administration remains fully committed to ensuring

that every displaced family has a pathway to security, recovery, and opportunity.”

UNHCR Representative in Nigeria, Arjun Jain underscored the importance of efficient and coordinated action

and government leadership, stating that “we can rapidly expand protection services and deliver assistance to

families facing acute risks. With the continued leadership of Honourable Minister Dr. Doro and His Excellency

Dr. Alia we are taking concrete steps to safeguard lives today while building the foundations for durable

solutions tomorrow.”

Implementation of the joint intervention is planned for April 2026.

For inquiries, please contact:

Federal Ministry of Humanitarian

Affairs and Poverty Reduction

Deborah Gashion Manasseh

07030131144

Benue State Government

Kula Tersoo

+234 8095961447

Kter2008@gmail.com

UNHCR Nigeria

Rachel Manning

+234 9118887002

manning@unhcr.org