Boko Haram can’t distract us - UNICEF resumes aid in Borno

UNICEF says it will not allow the attack on its convoy divert it from reaching the over two million people in need of aid in the north-east.

On Thursday, a humanitarian escort duty and Nigerian soldiers were ambushed and attacked by Boko Haram insurgents in Borno state.

The convoy, which was en route Maiduguri from Bama, included staff from UNICEF, UNFPA, and IOM.

Describing the attack as “heartless”, Jean Gough, UNICEF representative in Nigeria, said the task at hand is important.

“We are working at full strength in the Borno state capital Maiduguri,” Gough said in a statement.

“We continue to call for increased efforts to reach people in desperate need across the state. We cannot let this heartless attack divert any of us from reaching the more than two million people who are in dire need of immediate humanitarian assistance.”

UNICEF said if it suspends aid, about 244,000 children will suffer from severe acute malnutrition in Borno state alone.

Apart from that of Thursday, there is no known report of an attack on humanitarian workers in the region.

According to Sani Usman, army spokesman, the insurgents struck from a hidden location in Meleri village, a few kilometres from Kawuri.

“The gallant troops however, successfully cleared the ambush and exploited up to Afunori,” Usman said.

“Unfortunately, 2 soldiers and 3 civilians were wounded in the ambush, among whom were staff of United Nations agencies and other international humanitarian organizations. The wounded have been evacuated to University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri and they are in stable condition.”

UNICEF regretted that a humanitarian convoy was attacked while “returning from delivering desperately needed humanitarian assistance.”

“UNICEF can confirm that a UNICEF employee and an IOM contractor were injured in the attack and are being treated at a local hospital. All other UNICEF, IOM and UNFPA staff are safe,” the organisation had said in a statement issued after the attack.

“The convoy was in a remote area of northeastern Nigeria, where protracted conflict has caused extreme suffering and has triggered a severe malnutrition crisis. This was not only an attack on humanitarian workers. It is an attack on the people who most need the assistance and aid that these workers were bringing.

“The United Nations has temporarily suspended humanitarian assistance missions pending review of the security situation.”