By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The internally displaced persons camps in Bassa and Bokkos Local Government Areas of Plateau State are grappling with severe food shortages, Arewa Punch can authoritatively report.
The situation has further exacerbated the suffering of the victims who had fled their homes following a wave of attacks and killings by gunmen in the Bokkos and Bassa communities, which have claimed many lives over the past two weeks.
“The IDP camps in Bassa are suffering with limited access to basic necessities like food, water, and shelter.
“If you go to the Hurti community, we have over 4000 IDPs there. At St Paul’s Catholic Church in Bokkos, we have over 2000 of them. In all of these places, the situation is dire, with many IDPs relying on humanitarian assistance to survive,” a resident in Bokkos, Kefas Mallai, lamented while speaking with our correspondent.
Continuing, he noted: “The truth is that many of those displaced persons have shown resilience in the face of adversity. Imagine a group of people waking up to realise that they have been chased out of their ancestral homes with no place to sleep or food to eat. I think the government needs to look at their plight and do something.
“They need to offer them protection and help them to rebuild their lives so that the survivors can return to their homes and continue with their lives,” another resident, Gyang Davou, added
A non-governmental organisation, the Stefanos Foundation on Friday distributed food items to the attack victims in Bassa LGA.
The Foundation, led by its Programme Coordinator, Mr Mark Lipdo, donated relief materials to victims of the attacks in Kimakpa and Zike communities at a primary school in Kimakpa community, where over 1000 IDPs are currently taking refuge.
The team that visited the affected communities was received on arrival by the acting chairman of the community and the National Vice President of the Irigwe Youths Movement, Joy Ayu-Sunday.
Lipdo, who condemned the attacks on the communities, expressed his organisation’s commitment to supporting affected communities, while emphasising the need for peace and stability in the region.
According to the Programme Coordinator, the gesture is aimed at alleviating the suffering of the affected individuals.
“Our organisation is committed to supporting vulnerable communities, and we believe this gesture will go a long way in providing some relief to the victims,” Lipdo said.
Lipdo thoroughly condemned the dastardly attacks on the communities and urged the government to provide more support to the affected communities and ensure their safety.
He equally urged the victims to remain resilient and hopeful, promising continued support from the foundation.
“We urge the government and security agencies to take concrete steps to protect lives and property in Plateau State. The people of Plateau deserve to live in peace and security,” he insisted
The National Vice President of the Irigwe Youths Movement thanked the Stephanos Foundation and it’s development partners for their timely intervention, acknowledging the impact of the donation on the affected families.
She hailed the organisation’s efforts in providing relief materials and encouraged them to continue their support.
“On behalf of the Irigwe Community,we want to say thank you to the Stefanos Foundation for standing by us at this trying times,” she added
Arewa Punch correspondent reports that Stephanos Foundation is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to making the voice of the persecuted church heard as well as giving practical care and support in the most desperate situations
Arewa Punch who was on the team of the visiting group further reports that the relief materials donated to the victims by the Foundation included: bags of rice and beans, cartons of indomie noodles, jerrycans of both palmoil and groundnut oil along with other essential food consumables and supplies.