New york: The UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) has ended its fixed-wing air service in Nigeria due to a lack of funding. St©phane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, disclosed this during the noon press briefing at the UN Headquarters.

According to News Agency of Nigeria, UNHAS, which is operated by the World Food Programme (WFP), had to discontinue their fixed-wing air service in Nigeria last week owing to insufficient financial resources. For nine years, the service has been instrumental in transporting humanitarian staff, medical supplies, and critical cargo to and from Borno and Yobe states, regions severely affected by ongoing conflict.

In a country experiencing 16 years of continuous conflict, road transport remains highly perilous, making air transport essential. WFP had previously warned of potential suspension of all emergency food and nutrition aid for 1.3 million people in northeast Nigeria by the end of July.

WFP Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Margot van der Velden, highlighted the dire humanitarian situation in Nigeria during a briefing at the UN Headquarters. She emphasized that WFP urgently needs 130 million dollars to sustain its emergency food and nutrition operations in Northeast Nigeria for the coming six months. Due to severe funding cuts, the program has exhausted its food and nutrition resources, leading to the potential suspension of aid operations.

Velden expressed concerns that ending life-saving assistance could force millions of vulnerable individuals to make impossible choices, including enduring severe hunger, migrating, or risking exploitation by extremist groups. Despite the challenges, she commended the Nigerian government for being the largest financier of the emergency response in the northeast.

In 2024, UNHAS fixed-wing flights carried over 9,000 passengers, and already this year, 4,500 humanitarian staff have depended on the service to reach affected areas. According to the UN Spokesperson, UNHAS cannot continue operations without financial support. Dujarric stated that 5.4 million dollars is necessary for the UN air service to remain operational for six more months, warning that without this funding, the humanitarian response in northeast Nigeria risks being disconnected from those it aims to serve.