E
dward Kallon, the United Nations (UN) Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, has condemned Thursday night’s killing of three aid workers in Rann, Borno State, during an attack by Boko Haram on military facilities next to the town. Three aid workers were also injured in the attack, while a female nurse is feared abducted.
The condemnation was expressed in a statement issued on Thursday.
According to Mr. Kallon, aid workers risk their lives daily to provide emergency assistance to vulnerable members of the societies wracked by insurgency.
“Aid workers put their lives on the line every single day to provide emergency assistance to vulnerable women, children and men. 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,” said Mr. Kallon.
The statement explained that the two of the deceased aid workers were contractors with the International Organization for Migration. They were said to be working as coordinators in a 55,000-capacity Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp. The other deceased aid worker, added the statement, was a medical doctor employed as a third- party consultant with UNICEF.
The statement added that the UN is also concerned about other civilians, who may have been injured or killed in the attack.
The humanitarian crisis arising from the almost decade-long insurgency has spilled over into the Lake Chad region. It is described as one of the most severe in the world and has left 7.7 million people needing of humanitarian assistance in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states in 2018. Another 6.1 million people are 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,” said the UN.
The UN and non-governmental humanitarian organizations are working across the North-Eastern part of the country to provide food, safe water and medicines to about 6.1 million people. About 3,000 aid workers are currently working in affected areas, with the majority being Nigerian citizens.
