Hundreds of Akwa Ibom indigenes caught up in the wave of xenophobic attacks in South Africa have appealed to Governor Umo Eno for urgent financial assistance, saying the violence has left many families displaced and stripped of their means of livelihood.

The appeal was contained in a letter to the governor by the Akwa Ibom Indigenes Organisation in South Africa (AKIOSA), signed by its President, Dr Akaninyene F. Willie.

The group said affected indigenes had lost businesses and income following the looting and destruction of their shops.

Willie said the situation had assumed a humanitarian dimension, with some families forced out of their homes and left struggling to secure temporary accommodation and meet basic needs. “We’ve lost everything,” the organisation said, underscoring the severity of the losses suffered by members of the community.

While commending the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Diaspora Matters, Linda Akon Umoh, for her engagement with affected indigenes, AKIOSA said the scale of the crisis now demanded direct intervention from the state government.

The organisation proposed an emergency sustenance and stabilisation fund to provide immediate relief for food, medical needs and accommodation, while calling for grants to help affected traders and artisans replace destroyed equipment, restock their businesses and return to work.

According to Willie, the intervention would not only cushion the immediate hardship but also protect the economic interests of Akwa Ibom indigenes in South Africa, whom he described as contributors to the state through remittances and expertise in healthcare, education, information technology and other professions and trades.