The United Nations said 37 aid workers who were providing humanitarian supports to victims of Boko Haram insurgency have been killed in decade of violence in the North-East states. In a statement to mark the World Humanitarian Day, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said the crisis in the North East has also claimed 35, 000 lives.
“Since the beginning of the conflict in July 2009, a total of 37 aid workers have lost their lives in service to humanity. Recent data indicates that the conflict has claimed the lives of 35,000 civilians,”
head of Public Information, UN Office for the coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA), Eve Sabbagh, said in a statement yesterday. The UN said scores of local and foreign aid workers have defied various odds to provide humanitarian assistance to millions of people affected by the violence in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States.
It said the aid workers and their families should be protected in the course of serving humanity. UN humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon, said he has been impressed by the sacrifices of the aid workers.
“I have been impressed by the engagement of Nigerian women and women aid workers from all over the globe, working tirelessly to extend a helping hand to those affected by the decade-long crisis,”
Kallon said.
He said aid workers should not be the target of insurgents, but sadly, they have been victims. He said some 7.1 million people are still in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, while 1.8 million people are internally displaced.
Boko Haram has kidnapped about 10 aid workers in the last five years, including six staff of Action against Hunger, an international humanitarian organization in Borno State.
