The UN has suspended its humanitarian air service in northeast Nigeria, warning that millions in remote communities risk losing access to life-saving aid. Photo: Google
The United Nations has shut down its humanitarian air service in northeast Nigeria due to severe funding shortages, raising fears that millions of vulnerable people could be cut off from life-saving aid.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the development threatens relief operations across remote, conflict-affected communities, where hunger, displacement, and insecurity are already widespread.
“The humanitarian response in northeast Nigeria risks being cut off from the very people it is meant to serve,” Dujarric warned. “Without air links, humanitarian workers lose safe access to remote conflict-affected communities, where millions are already grappling with hunger, displacement, and violence.”
The UN cautioned that the shutdown could force families into desperate choices—enduring worsening hunger, migrating in unsafe conditions, or falling prey to extremist groups exploiting vulnerabilities in the region.
Despite Nigeria’s government providing significant support and becoming the largest financier of emergency response, the UN stressed that international donor contributions remain critical to sustain aid operations at scale.
The appeal comes amid shrinking global humanitarian budgets, with agencies stretched thin by simultaneous crises in Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine.
“For Nigeria’s northeast, where insurgency and instability have already displaced millions, the loss of a vital air bridge may further isolate vulnerable populations at a time when they can least afford it,” the UN said.
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