NAN-H-78
IDPs
By Lizzy Okoji/Taiye Elebiyo-Edeni
Abuja, Jan. 16, 2018(NAN)Belarusniki, an Alumni Association of Belarussian Institutions, on Tuesday donated relief materials to Internally Displaced Persons(IDPs) at the Durumi Camp, Area 1, Abuja.
The Association, led by Mr Muktar Usman, the President, donated food items and enough medication to cater for the needs of the IDPs in the camp.
The items donated include six bags of 50kg rice, five bags of 100kg beans and five gallons of 25kg vegetable oil.
Others are three bags of garri; 11 bags of semovita; 20 bags of instant noodles and various types of medication.
Usman explained that Belarusniki is a non-political, non-religious and non-ethnic association of graduates from institutions of higher learning in the Republic of Belarus, Europe.
He said the plight of the displaced persons prompted members of the association to help them, adding that they would continue to extend their hand of fellowship to IDPs.
He urged the camp coordinators to diligently manage the relief materials, advising them to evenly distribute the food-stuff among the children, women and others in the camp.
Earlier, the Camp Coordinator, Ibrahim Halilu, commended the members of Belarusniki, adding that the relief materials were the first sets they had received since the New Year.
“If you know the level of hunger we are facing, you will understand that what you have brought for us is very big and we cannot thank you enough.
“I also want you to know that we are now at the stage of being stigmatised, we were initially brutalised, victimised, killed, but we escaped those ordeals, ” Halilu said.
He, however, complained of the treatment meted out to them by some hospitals in Abuja as well as some government agencies.
Responding, the Vice President, Belarusniki, Mr Thomas Modey corrected a wrong impression by the camp coordinator about being stigmatised.
“You may have been brutalised, killed or all that, but I don’t agree that you’ve been stigmatised. If you’re being stigmatised, someone like me won’t say you’re my brother, and that’s the same feeling all our members have.
“We only pray that God will enable us to do more and above all you stay in good health.’’
“We thought it wise about a year ago to reach out to our friends, brothers sisters, children who were displaced by the unfortunate incident taking place in the North-East, specifically in Borno, and a few other states.”(NAN)
LIZ/TY/IFY/GY
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Edited by Ify Omowole/Grace Yussuf