LEFT BEHIND. ORPHANS OF CONFLICT WITH NO VOICE.

In recent months, Benue State—once Nigeria’s “Food Basket”—has been ravaged by escalating herder-farmer violence and suspected terrorist attacks. The June massacre in Yelwata alone claimed 150 lives, many burned alive in their sleep . These horrors have torn families apart, leaving a wave of orphans struggling to survive.

A National Catastrophe

Nigeria is already home to 17.5 million orphaned children, a staggering burden disproportionately felt in states like Benue . In Benue, the situation is even more dire: roughly 25% of all children are orphans—many of whom face loss of caregiver, home, food, and hope . In Guma local government, traumatised children are “uncountable,” according to ALGON’s chairman Maurice Orwough, as attacks and school burnings continue unabated .

Voices of the Children

These aren’t abstract numbers—they’re the voices and stories of real children. A 14-year-old in Agatu leads her younger siblings alone, after losing her parents to a rampage by herders . Another young child, Faiza, recalls how floods destroyed her home in Borno and left her family eating just once a day:

“It is very difficult for us to get food… School has resumed, but the flooding destroyed my books and other school materials.”

These tragedies are echoed daily in Benue’s camps and orphanages.

What They’re Facing

A 2024 assessment of 3,659 households in Benue found:

63% of families struggle with food insecurity

44% lack access to education

43% have no basic healthcare

41% are denied clean water

The effects are clear: thousands of children are missing school, malnourished, traumatized, and completely dependent on fragile systems.

Why This Matters Now

The United Nations reports a 25% surge in “grave violations” against children—killing, abductions, attacks on schools and hospitals—across conflict zones like Nigeria in 2024, with 2,436 such violations verified . This is not a distant crisis—it's today's harsh reality for Benue’s children.

How You Can Make a Real Difference

These children need more than sympathy—they need solidarity and support:

Education Sponsorship: ₦50,000 per year can cover school fees, uniforms, and books—securing a child’s future.

Emergency Kits: ₦10,000 supplies food, hygiene items, and a blanket for displaced children.

Trauma Counseling: Your donation can fund trained counselors who help children process grief and fear.

Caregiver Support: Aid for overcrowded orphanages helps improve living conditions and reduce caregiver burnout.

Every donation is a lifeline.

Will you stand with us today?

These children are not just orphans—they are survivors. Behind each statistic is a child with dreams, a voice that needs to be heard, and a future that can still be rewritten.

Join us. Sponsor a life. Restore hope. Be a voice for them

Together, we can turn tragedy into transformation—one child at a time.