UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria condemns killing of three aid workers in North-East

ABUJA, Nigeria, March 2, 2018,-/African Media Agency (AMA)/- The Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon, has condemned the killing of three aid workers in Rann town in Borno State, north-east Nigeria last night following an attack by a Non-State Armed Group on the military facilities next to the town. Three aid workers were also injured in the attack, and a female nurse is missing, feared abducted.
“Aid workers put their lives on the line every single day to provide emergency assistance to vulnerable women, children and men,” said Mr Kallon. “Our deepest condolences go to the families of the victims and our brave colleagues and we call on authorities to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice and account.”

Two deceased aid workers were contractors with the International Organization for Migration, working as coordinators in the camp for 55,000 internally displaced persons who have fled their homes as a result of the ongoing conflict. The other deceased aid worker was a medical doctor employed as a third party consultant with UNICEF. The United Nations is also very concerned about other civilians who may have been injured or killed in the attack.

The humanitarian crisis in Nigeria’s north-east, that has spilled over into the Lake Chad region, is one of the most severe in the world today, with 7.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in 2018 in the worst-affected states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, and 6.1 million targeted for humanitarian assistance. Now in its ninth year, the crisis shows no sign of abating. Close to 80,000 people, including 55,000 internally displaced persons, currently reside in Rann and are supported with humanitarian assistance.

The United Nations and non-governmental humanitarian organisations are working across the north-east of Nigeria to provide aid, including food, safe water and medicine, to some 6.1 million people in need in the northeast. Some 3,000 aid workers are present in the north-east, the majority of whom are Nigerian nationals.

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).