By Isaac Uzaan

Benue State Government has commenced the process of returning Internally Displaced Persons, (IDPs) to their ancestral homes.

The exercise which began Friday, October 17, 2024 with the IDPs camp at Baka along 72 Barracks Road, North Bank Makurdi was another major step towards fulfilling Governor Alia’s campaign promise of returning IDPs back to their ancestral homes.

The Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Aondowase Kunde who coordinated the exercise alongside Benue State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, IOM, and other stakeholders on behalf of the Governor said 3,698 IDPs comprising 1, 114 house holds at Baka camp in North Bank were to be moved to a temporary home constructed along Makurdi – Gbajimba Road.

Hon. Kunde explained that it has been the desire of the Governor that deliberate moves be taken to achieve the all important objective of returning IDPs to their ancestral homes.

He added that in search of durable solutions, the government of Benue State in partnership with International Organization for Migration (IOM has constructed temporary homes to accommodate the IDPs pending their eventual return to their very ancestral homes.

According to the commissioner, the government does not intend to keep the people in those camps for more than a year as the state action plan for durable solutions prepares to launch another return next month.

The Camp Chairman, Samson Unum and the Camp Women Leader Patricia Nyikor who spoke on behalf of the IDPs appreciated the Governor of Benue State, Rev Fr Dr Hyacinth Iormem Alia for a more decent accommodation with water, light and security for them.

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By Ruma Paul

DHAKA (Reuters) – Floods in Bangladesh have destroyed an estimated 1.1 million metric tons of rice, according to data from the agriculture ministry, prompting the country to ramp up imports of the staple grain amid soaring food prices.

Floods brought by heavy monsoon rains and torrential upstream runoff struck the country in two major waves in August and October, claiming at least 75 lives and affecting millions, particularly in the eastern and northern regions where crop damage has been the most severe.

FILE PHOTO: People move on a tractor through a flooded street amid severe flooding in Feni, Bangladesh, on August 25, 2024. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain/File Photo
© Thomson Reuters

The agriculture ministry said this year’s flooding has resulted in a substantial loss of rice production. In response, the government is moving quickly to import 500,000 tons of rice and is expected to permit private sector imports soon, a food ministry official said.

The interim government, which took power in August after deadly protests forced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India, has been struggling to stabilize food prices that have surged nearly 20% in recent months.

Higher imports by Bangladesh could lift shipments from neighbouring India, the top global rice exporter, which last month cut the duty on parboiled rice exports to 10%.

The floods have also severely impacted other agricultural products, including more than 200,000 tons of vegetables. Total nationwide agricultural losses due to the flooding are estimated at around 45 billion taka ($380 million).

Bangladesh, the world’s third-largest rice producer, typically produces nearly 40 million tons of rice a year to feed its population of 170 million. However, natural disasters often disrupt production and lead to increased dependency on imports.

The floods this year have underscored Bangladesh’s vulnerability to climate change. A 2015 World Bank Institute analysis estimated 3.5 million people in Bangladesh are at risk of annual river flooding, a risk scientists say is worsening due to global climate change.

“To ensure food security in the face of increasing climate challenges, it is essential to develop more flood- and drought-tolerant crop varieties, along with short-duration varieties,” said Khandakar Mohammad Iftekharuddaula, chief scientific officer at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute.

He said investing in agricultural research is crucial for developing these resilient crops.

“By focusing on flood- and drought-resistant traits, we can help farmers adapt to changing weather patterns and stabilize yields even in difficult conditions.”

($1 = 119.0000 taka)

(Reporting by Ruma Paul; Editing by Tom Hogue)