Orthodox communities in Nigeria’s Benue State have sent a letter of appreciation to Metropolitan Constantine of Cairo and North Africa, the Patriarchal Exarch of Africa, for assistance that has provided safe drinking water to residents affected by an armed attack.

Funds raised through a humanitarian campaign helped finance the drilling of wells in several communities in the region, according to the African Exarchate.

The letter was sent on behalf of local Orthodox communities by Archimandrite Niphont Mark (Hüle), the parish priest. He said the lack of safe drinking water had been one of the area’s most persistent problems for years. Residents often had to travel long distances to find water, while drought made farming increasingly difficult.

“Today, clean water flows where there was once only a struggle for survival,” the appeal said.

The assistance followed a humanitarian campaign launched after an attack on the Christian village of Turan in Benue State on March 6. According to the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa, local residents were killed in the assault, including two members of the Russian Orthodox Church community, Ioann Akule and Daniil Ahemba.

Following the attack, residents were forced to leave their homes and move to temporary settlements, where they faced shortages of food and drinking water.

In March, the Exarchate launched an appeal to support the families of those killed and other victims. In April, wells were drilled with support from the Russian Orthodox Church to provide displaced residents with access to water.

The water shortage in Benue is part of a broader humanitarian crisis rather than solely a consequence of the March attack. According to UNICEF, the situation in the state has been worsened by armed conflict, population displacement and inadequate water and sanitation infrastructure. The organization has reported that access to safe water remains a major challenge in areas hosting displaced people.

Nigeria as a whole also faces significant difficulties in providing reliable access to drinking water. UNICEF estimates that only about 30% of the country’s population has access to safely managed drinking-water services, while another 52% rely on basic water services.

Rural communities and areas affected by armed conflict and mass displacement are particularly vulnerable. For residents of the affected communities in Benue, the newly drilled wells represent not only emergency humanitarian assistance but also a long-term improvement in access to one of life’s most basic necessities.