...Six Children Down With Measles, Two Others Die
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Hunger, disease and lack of medication may have hit the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Agagbe, Gwer West Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue state.
Mimi Tion, the Planning and Research Officer, in charge of IDPs at the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said “We have sent our health officers there and they have given us the report and we are waiting for actions to be taken.
On his part, the Executive Secretary (ES), SEMA, Sir James Iorpuu debunked the allegations that there was starvation at the Agagbe camp. He pointed out that during the last distribution exercise, the camp alone got 200 bags of 25kg rice.
But, we gathered that the result of the incidences at the camp is that six children at the camp are down with measles, while two others have been confirmed dead. One of the children died prematurely, while the other died at childbirth.
It was learnt that the mothers of the babies that died, may have had completed as a result of poor feeding and could not carry the babies to safe delivery, leading to stillbirth.
Confirming the incident in an interview with newsmen in Makurdi on Monday, the Camp leader, Ibaah Terna Jacob said “Two people lost their babies. One was premature death, the other one lost the baby while giving birth. Both incidents happened on Sunday and Monday last week.
“Two (of the women) gave birth to dead baby boys here at the Agagbe IDP camp because of inability to access medical attention.
“There was hunger in the camp. Also, they (pregnant women) could not get money to go the hospital so they delivered in the camp.
“Even a place to give birth is a problem here; there is a space here – a toilet built by Medicines San Frontiers, MSF – is the place most women here use to give birth, if they don’t have money to go to the hospital.
“They use the toilet to give birth since we are currently congested in the rooms. It’s really tough. Even the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) is aware.”
The Camp Manager further explained that “There are even cases of measles here in the camp. Altogether, six children are infected with measles and no medical attention has been given to them, so they are taking herbs.”
One of the women that lost her child, is 40 year-old Ioryoosu Udisugh who told us that she has one child, Ngutor and the baby she lost would have been their second.
Narrating what led to the death of the baby, Udisugh said, “I suddenly had pangs of childbirth and there was no money to go to the hospital and my husband thought that the child would come any moment.
“And since my husband had no money he was thinking of using one of the toilets because most women who did not have money to go to the hospital use a toilet at the camp to deliver their babies”, she stated.
On the other hand, 27-year old Adoo Shipinen of Tse-Atakpa, Sengev council ward of the LGA said her pregnancy came with complications.
According to her, “I became pregnant while at the IDP camp. I struggled with it as I had no money to access medical treatment until at about 10 o’clock on that night, I gave birth to a dead baby boy I am also not feeling well I solicit for your assistance”, she pleaded.
Meanwhile, a 40-year old mother of three, Nguavese Agagbe of Sengev council ward, Tse -Agagbe who is also an IDP at the camp said her 14-year old daughter, Eucharia started scratching her body which eventually developed into sores.
She further observed that “I went and bought some medicine for her but it got worse by the day. And it later developed into sores. I didn’t know what to do next since I had no money to take her to the hospital to know what was wrong with her”, she stated.
