UN Halts Air Service in Nigeria Due to Funding Gap, Aid Operations Impacted

The United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) has ceased operations in Nigeria due to a funding shortfall, cutting a vital lifeline for aid workers in the country's northeast. The service, operated by the World Food Programme (WFP), provided crucial transportation for humanitarian staff and supplies to the crisis epicenter in Borno and Yobe states.

The suspension of air transport comes amidst a worsening funding crisis that has also threatened emergency food aid for millions in northeast Nigeria. The UN spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, highlighted the country's enduring conflict over the past 16 years, making road transport extremely dangerous.

Without urgent financial support, millions of vulnerable Nigerians could face severe hunger and forced migration.