The Digest: The United Nations has suspended a vital air service in Nigeria's northeast due to a severe shortage of funds, a move that threatens to isolate millions of people in conflict-ridden areas from crucial humanitarian aid. The closure of the service highlights the growing strain on global relief efforts as donor contributions decline.
Key Points:
- The United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), run by the World Food Programme (WFP), has ended its fixed-wing operations in Nigeria after almost a decade.
- The shutdown is a direct result of severe funding shortages; the service needs $5.4 million to continue operations for the next six months.
- For nine years, UNHAS has been the primary way for humanitarian staff and supplies to safely access conflict-affected areas in Borno and Yobe states, where road travel is too dangerous.
- The closure risks cutting off the humanitarian response from the very people it is meant to serve, threatening to deepen the country's humanitarian emergency.
- The WFP had already warned in July that it might be forced to suspend emergency food and nutrition aid for 1.3 million people in the region.
- The funding crisis is part of a global trend where humanitarian agencies face shrinking budgets due to competing crises in other parts of the world.
The suspension of the UN's air service in Nigeria’s northeast is a critical development that underscores the fragile nature of humanitarian relief efforts. With road transport being extremely dangerous, the loss of air access may further isolate vulnerable populations already grappling with hunger and violence. The UN has issued an urgent appeal for funds to prevent a complete collapse of aid pipelines in the region.Sources: Channels Television
