Boko Haram: Borno IDPs to benefit from VSF fund

A Nigerian foundation, the Victims Support Fund (VSF), on Sunday, said internally displaced persons (IDPs) will benefit from its aid package to victims of Boko Haram attacks.

Sunday Ochoche, VSF executive director, disclosed this while speaking with journalists in Maiduguri.

He said the visit was aimed at getting first-hand information on the condition of victims of last Wednesday’s multiple bomb blasts in Maiduguri.

“We came to express our support and condolences to the people and Government of Borno over the blasts,’’ Ochoche said.

“We also came to see what is on ground and how we can help.”

Ochoche said that N30 million each had been given to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) and Borno Specialists’ Hospital, Maiduguri.

He added that the VSF had expanded the scope of treatment provided by the hospitals to include provision of free healthcare services to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state.

“So far, we have given the UMTH N30 million but with the recent happenings, especially the multiple bomb blasts, we are going to consider how much additional fund to be added,” Onoche said.

“We gave the Specialists Hospital N20 million and we just added an additional N10 million today.

“I think it is worthy of note to state that the fund is no longer restricted to the treatment of just bomb blasts and attacks victims.

“It is now for the general medical treatment of all IDPs; we have already amended our Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the hospitals to that effect.”

According to him, the VSF has been in partnership with Borno Government in providing care for the victims of Boko Haram insurgency since 2015.

Ochoche expressed satisfaction with the manner the resources provided for the medical care of victims were being utilized.

“You will recall that since 2015, the VSF has been a partner with the state government on health support for victims of insurgency,’’ he said.

“We are here to see precisely how the funds we have given can be utilised effectively, especially following the recent bomb blasts.

“We are really encouraged by the work been done by the hospitals; we are happy to see that our funds are making the difference.

“We saw that the patients are getting every support and the best possible treatment that they require, free of charge, because of the funds supplied by the VSF to the hospitals.

The Nigeria Foundation for the Support of Victims of Terrorism (Victims Support Fund) was set up to mobilise sustainable funding and building partnerships for the support and transformation of victims of terrorism and insurgency in Nigeria.

It set up committees to provide a framework, through which all persons and institutions who want to assist, can help mitigate the pains Nigerians are going through.