Renewed Attacks Displace Over 6,500 in Benue, Kill Dozens

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has reported that over 6,527 individuals have been displaced due to multiple coordinated attacks by unidentified gunmen in Benue State, including a recent attack in Yelewata community, Guma Local Government Area. Among the displaced are vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, lactating mothers, children, and elderly persons, with urgent needs for food, potable water, non-food items, and essential medical supplies. The violence has resulted in more than 100 deaths, though casualty figures remain inconsistent due to limited access and ongoing rescue operations. Security forces, including the Nigerian Army and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, were deployed, but tragically, two soldiers and one NSCDC officer were killed in an ambush during the response. Medical teams have called for urgent blood donations following injuries, with 46 individuals hospitalized and 20 succumbing to injuries. Relief efforts are coordinated by NEMA alongside the State Emergency Management Agency, UNHCR, Red Cross, and International Organization for Migration at a newly established camp for internally displaced persons.