Yelewata Attack: Pregnant Women, Children Fill Makurdi IDP Camp

Yelewata Attack Leaves Thousands in Despair at Makurdi IDP Camp

In the wake of the devastating June 13, 2025, attack in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area, Benue State, Nigeria, the Makurdi Ultra Modern International Market has become a sanctuary for 5,294 displaced souls. Among them are 380 pregnant women and 2,536 children, their lives upended by violence that has left scars both seen and unseen. The Benue State Emergency Management Agency (BSEMA) reports that these vulnerable groups, alongside 233 elderly women and 181 elderly men, now call this overcrowded camp home

The stories emerging from the camp are heart-wrenching. Pregnant women, some nearing delivery, cling to hope as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) facilitates safe births, 10 so far, and provides antenatal care to over 368 expectant mothers. Meanwhile, UNICEF battles to protect the camp’s children, vaccinating over 1,000 against polio and tending to 300 young ones daily. Yet, the camp is no haven. Protests have erupted over starvation, with desperate IDPs accusing officials of diverting aid meant to sustain them. The fear of further attacks looms large, and many reject government calls to return home, haunted by the memory of Yelewata’s violence.

The Benue government has responded, arresting suspects tied to the attack and rooting out 50 impostors posing as IDPs to siphon resources. But for those in the camp, like a young mother shielding her newborn or a child too scared to sleep, these measures feel distant. The camp’s manager, Robert Nyom, paints a grim picture of stretched resources and rising tensions, yet the resilience of the displaced shines through. They demand not just survival, but justice and a future free from fear.

As Makurdi’s IDP camp swells, the world watches. Will aid reach those who need it most? Can safety be restored for these 5,294 lives? The Yelewata attack has exposed a wound that runs deep, and for the pregnant women and children at its heart, the fight for hope continues.