The United Nations, UN has suspended air service under the Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) agency in Nigeria.
The UN explained that the reason for suspending the air service is due to a lack of funds after nine years of operation.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass gathered that the decision of the UN to suspend air service in Nigeria is expected to disrupt aid giving to conflict-ravaged regions like Borno and Yobe states, where millions face hunger and displacement.
Operated by the World Food Programme (WFP), UNHAS has been essential for transporting humanitarian staff and supplies to areas where road travel remains dangerous due to ongoing insurgencies.
For nine years, UNHAS has been part of humanitarian efforts in Nigeria, carrying over 9,000 passengers in 2024 alone, including 4,500 aid workers this year.
The closure, announced by U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric in New York on Wednesday.
Dujarric said: “In 2024, UNHAS fixed-wing flights carried more than 9,000 passengers. This year, 4,500 humanitarian staff have already relied on the service to reach affected areas.
“UNHAS cannot continue without funding: $5.4 million must remain operational for the next six months. Without this funding, the humanitarian response in north-east Nigeria risks being cut off from the very people it is meant to serve.
“For nine years, the service has transported humanitarian staff, medical supplies, and critical cargo to and from the epicenter of the crisis in Borno and Yobe states.
“In a country that has experienced 16 years of conflict, where road transport remains extremely dangerous, air transport is essential.”
Also, Margot van der Velden, WFP’s regional director for West and Central Africa, addressing a press statement, further disclosed that the UN suspended air service in Nigeria due to a shortage of $5.4 million in funds.
Margot explained that the agency urgently requires $5.4 million to sustain food and nutrition operations in the region for just six months.
