UN aid official in Nigeria condemns attack against humanitarian facility

Non-State armed groups targeted the humanitarian hub in Ngala, Borno state, on Saturday evening, burning an entire section of the facility as well as a vehicle used in aid deliveries.

The top UN aid official in Nigeria has condemned a weekend attack against a major humanitarian facility in the north-east of the country. Non-State armed groups targeted the humanitarian hub in Ngala, Borno state, on Saturday evening, burning an entire section of the facility as well as a vehicle used in aid deliveries. 

Five UN staff were staying there at the time but escaped unharmed due to security measures in place. 

Edward Kallon, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, expressed outrage over the incident. 

“I am shocked by the violence and intensity of this attack, which is the latest of too many incidents directly targeting humanitarian actors and the assistance we provide,” he said on Monday. 

 “I am relieved all staff is now safe and secure. Aid workers, humanitarian facilities and assets cannot be a target and must be protected and respected at all times.”  

Northern Nigeria has been in the grip of a Boko Haram insurgency for about a decade, which has led to widespread displacement. 

Last year, more than 10,000 people arrived in Ngala, searching for security and basic services, the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, reported. 

‘Disastrous effect’ on vulnerable

Mr. Kallon said attacks against humanitarians have a “disastrous effect” on the vulnerable people they support. 

“Many of them had already fled violence in their area of origin and were hoping to find safety and assistance in Ngala. This also jeopardizes the ability for aid workers to stay and deliver assistance to the people most in need in remote areas in Borno State,” he said. 

Overall, the UN and partners are bringing vital assistance to more than seven million people in three states affected by the crisis.  Besides Borno, they also are operational in neighboring Adamawa and Yobe states. 

OCHA said aid workers in Nigeria are increasingly being targeted in attacks.  Twelve were killed last year, which is double the number killed in 2018. 

Meanwhile, the UN and its humanitarian partners continue to call for the safe release of two aid workers who remain in the hands of non-state armed groups after being abducted in separate incidents in Borno state.   

Grace Taku, a staff member with Action Against Hunger, was abducted alongside five male colleagues near Damasak in July 2019.  The men were all killed, according to media reports. 

The other aid worker, Alice Loksha, a nurse and mother, was kidnapped during an attack in Rann in March 2018.